* From today’s Metra board meeting…

Also will recommend adding a Loop parking tax and a $10/vehicle increase in vehicle registration fees in our region.

— Star:Line Chicago (@StarLineChicago) September 20, 2023

All heavy lifts, some more than others.

* AG Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today charged three men who own and operate a dozen Central and Southern Illinois gas stations for allegedly underreporting more than $50 million in sales from 2019 to 2022, which produced more than $4 million in tax liability.

Roger Multani, 29, of Peoria, Illinois, and brothers Surinder (Paul) Singh, 34, and Jitender (Jay) Singh, 33, both of Indianapolis, Indiana, were charged in a Peoria County Circuit Court and Sangamon County Circuit Court with multiple counts of theft, fraud and tax evasion.

“Individuals who underreport sales taxes are stealing from the state and from the residents in their communities who rely on the important programs and services stolen tax revenues are intended to fund,” Raoul said. “I appreciate the continued partnership of the Illinois Department of Revenue as we work together to hold these individuals accountable.”

* IDFPR…

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) announced today that Susana Soriano will serve as the next Director of Banking. Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, Soriano previously served as the Deputy Director of Banking after joining the Department in October 2020. Her appointment is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

“I am proud to announce that I have appointed Susana Soriano as Director of Banking for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Whether implementing the Community Reinvestment Act or serving small businesses through the Chicago Community Loan Fund, Susana brings both expertise and equity to all that she does—both inside and outside of IDFPR. A seasoned professional and passionate advocate for underserved communities, I have no doubt that Susana is the right person for this post and I congratulate her on this appointment.”

* IHDA…

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across Illinois. Awarded under the Strong Communities Program (SCP), the initiative will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities. The program is designed to support local revitalization efforts and attract further investment in communities that may lack the resources needed to tackle vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties.

* Rep. Ugaste…

On Tuesday, State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) joined House Republican colleagues to discuss the negative effects of poor public policy handed down by Democrat leaders and focus on new opportunities to change course in Illinois. He joined State Representatives Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Bloomingdale), Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills), and Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) to invite colleagues to join the Opportunity Caucus and consider their proposed ideas on economic, education, tax, and crime reforms.

“The preamble of the Illinois Constitution says the People of the State of Illinois endeavor to ‘provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual,’ yet for nearly 24 years, Democrat policies have failed miserably in providing that opportunity for Illinoisans,” said Rep. Ugaste. “With veto session on the horizon, we urge Democrats to consider our ideas, especially ones from our House Reigniting Illinois’ Strong Economy, Truth in Public Safety, and Literacy Improves Future Endeavors working groups to utilize Illinois’ strengths and create a cycle of opportunity that lasts generations.”

Rep. Ugaste referenced a 2023 WalletHub study ranking state economies with the most racial equality, where Illinois was ranked 50th in the nation. He urged Democrat colleagues to consider Republican legislation that has been introduced in the House but has not been moved out of the Rules Committee or subcommittees. This legislation includes workers compensation bills, public safety bills, and permanently installing the Invest in Kids tax credit. The Opportunity Caucus will follow this press conference with a series of op-eds detailing solutions for these important issues in Illinois.

Rep. Ugaste is the Republican spokesperson for the House Judiciary – Civil, Labor & Commerce, and Financial Institutions Committees. He also leads the House Republican Reigniting Illinois’ Strong Economy working group and is a member of the Truth in Public Safety (TIPS) working group.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Tribune | After 2 months, COPA unable to find witnesses in CPD Ogden District migrant sex misconduct investigation, council member says: Kiisha Smith, the chair of the Ogden District Council, said during the police council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday that a COPA representative gave her the update last Friday. “Really, nothing’s changed,” Smith told the 30 or so meeting attendees. “They (COPA) stated that they still haven’t found the complaining asylum-seekers, so they still don’t have names, they say they don’t know where they are. I offered to advise them of where the locations were … like if they didn’t know we would provide the information for them to use in the investigation. They claim they knew, but nobody was speaking up.”

* Harvard Political Review | Spearheading Progressive Legislation : An Interview with Governor J.B. Pritzker: HPR: This January, you signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act which banned assault rifles and high capacity magazines in the state of Illinois. Yet, there is still a major gun crisis both in your state and across the country. What more needs to be done in order to ensure that both Illinoisans and all Americans are safe from the gun crisis? J.B. Pritzker: Well, let’s start with we should make that national. We should have a national ban on assault weapons. We should have a national ban on switches — that’s something we also banned in Illinois — and high capacity magazines. Switches are what turns your non-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon. So these are things that ought to happen at a federal level. Obviously, the politics of that are more difficult nationally than they are in Illinois. But there’s much more that needs to be done.

* Tribune | Cook County Board to consider $300,000 settlement for former commissioner’s aide over being fired after raising harassment claims: The decision must still be approved by the full County Board Thursday but if it is OK’d it would cap off off a yearslong saga first brought to light in 2021 when Cook County’s inspector general determined an elected official that sources identified as Sims retaliated against an employee who complained that Sims’ male chief of staff sent her unwanted, sexually explicit texts and touched her inappropriately.

* Crain’s | Illinois police pension fund plans to start investing in loans and private credit: The Illinois Police Officers’ Pension Investment Fund aims to allocate about $300 million into leveraged loans, moving the money from junk bond index funds, according to a document. The fund’s staff will recommend a manager and the allocation to the board in December, said Kent Custer, chief investment officer for the fund.

* Crain’s | Proposal to eliminate tipped wage breezes through committee: Originally introduced with a two-year phaseout, Mayor Brandon Johnson and his City Council allies reached a compromise with the Illinois Restaurant Association over the weekend to expand the time restaurants have to pay their employees the city’s full minimum wage to five years.

* Tribune | O’Hare, Midway rank low in J.D. Power airport survey, as passengers wait on construction and new dining options: Among the challenges Chicago’s airports face in further improving their satisfaction scores could be getting construction started on a key phase of an overhaul of O’Hare, and improving local food and shopping options, said Mike Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. And that could have broader repercussions, as J.D. Power found more satisfied passengers are likely to spend more money at the airport.

* WTTW | Ride Along With a Task Force Working to Reduce Car Jackings in Chicago: The Cook County Sheriff’s Office estimates up to 1,600 carjackings will be committed this year. In response, a multi-agency effort is in place to try and stop and find carjackers before the vehicle is used to commit other crimes.

* Block Club Chicago | Old Town Weed Dispensary Rejected By Ald. Brian Hopkins: “While popular opinion is not the only factor I consider when evaluating zoning change requests, the clear survey result combined with the numerous comments received by my office made it apparent that I must deny this zoning change request,” Hopkins said.

* Crain’s | Lolla funds new pickleball and tennis courts at Grant Park: Sixteen new pickleball courts and six new tennis courts are now open to the public at Grant Park thanks in part to a $500,000 grant from Lollapalooza. The courts were built with funds from Lolla as well as $41,000 raised by the Grant Park Advisory Council, Block Club Chicago reported. The advisory council began to raise money for new courts after hearing complaints that tennis and pickleball players were clashing over the shared spaces.

* Bloomberg | Home insurance ‘bubble’ closer to popping as climate risks mount: First Street estimates that 39 million U.S. homes are insured at artificially suppressed prices compared with the risk they actually face. Of those, nearly 6.8 million homes are covered by state-backed “insurer of last resort” policies. Until now, state regulations that cap increases in insurance premiums and subsidized insurer-of-last-resort programs have hidden the magnitude of the problem, the report’s authors say. But as the number of disasters and the related damages keep rising, they predict, the insurance market will undergo a major adjustment and rates will surge, popping what the nonprofit calls a climate insurance bubble.

* Sun-Times | Alan Williams’ status as Bears’ defensive coordinator getting murky: Williams missed last week because of a personal issue. Bears coach Matt Eberflus refused comment to any question about Williams’ status Wednesday, including whether or not he was still the team’s defensive coordinator. “I don’t have any update right now.”

* SJ-R | ‘A living testament:’ Segregated firehouse to be restored in Springfield: Engine House No. 5, formerly known as the city’s “colored firehouse,” will be restored to its former condition, complete with a façade. “Those firefighters fought fires that were set during the 1908 race riots so it’s historical for the resilience of Black people and the city,” said ACLU president Kenneth Page. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the firehouse, located at 1310 E. Adams St., to share its history and restoration plan.

* ABC Chicago | 2 West Nile Virus deaths confirmed in DuPage County: The first death was an Addison resident in their 70s. The second was a West Chicago resident in their 60s. Health officials said they both fell ill in late August. So far in 2023 there have been six human cases of West Nile Virus reported in DuPage County.

* SJ-R | ‘I feel like I’m coming back home’: Springfield City Council approves new library director: Gwendolyn Harrison started working at Lincoln Library in Springfield as a 16-year-old page. It is where she got her first professional job after earning her master’s degree in library science, working there from 1983 to 1999. On Tuesday, Harrison was unanimously approved by the Springfield City Council as library director.