Illinois has the seventh-highest number of jobs in the clean-vehicle sector among all U.S. states.
Nearly 14,000 people were employed in clean-vehicle jobs in Illinois last year, according to a report by Environmental Entrepreneurs, or E2, an economic and environmental advocacy group affiliated with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
However, Illinois trails several of its Midwest neighbors, led by Michigan, which employed 32,271 people in clean-vehicle jobs, followed by Ohio and Indiana, with about 22,000 each.
Staff members of the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors are calling for the removal of the organization’s CEO, its current president and two other high-level officials, the latest turn in a sexual harassment controversy that has been swirling since a New York Times article about a “culture of fear” created by its past president.
“The buck has to stop somewhere,” says a confidential letter by staff members, a copy of which Crain’s received. The writers say upper-level staff knew about the pattern of bad behavior and focused on protecting the president rather than the staff. They delivered the letter to NAR’s executive committee Monday. […]
The New York Times reported in late August that three women who work in NAR’s Chicago office said Parcell harassed them in different ways. The 16 incidents involving Parcell that the Times investigated included retaliating against one woman after a consensual relationship ended by questioning her authority over her workplace team, sticking his hands down his pants in front of another and texting a picture of his crotch to a third. Parcell denied the report but resigned the next day. The Times article had sources saying harassment is ingrained in NAR’s culture and protected by a tight group of NAR staff.
* From the Illinois Education Association…
Hi Rich,
I wanted to let you know Sept. 23 marks the 40th anniversary of Gov. Thompson signing the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act into law. That’s right Big Jim, a Republican governor, worked together with the IEA to make CB for educators the law of the land. It’s a fascinating story to say the least and cleared the way for limits on class sizes, special education and essentially public education as we know it today.
* This is a pretty easy endorsement because Katz Muhl has already pushed the incumbent (Rep. Jonathan Carroll) into retirement…
Tracy Katz Muhl announced today that she earned the endorsement of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in the race to represent Illinois’ 57th Legislative District in the State House.
“Tracy Katz Muhl has tenaciously served her community as a grassroots organizer, Democratic committeeperson, gun violence prevention advocate, attorney, and school board president. She will be an effective and thoughtful representative for the 57th district, and I am thrilled to endorse her,” Pritzker said.
— Judge Celia Gamrath, a candidate for appellate court, is out with an endorsement list that includes the Cook County Democratic Party, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and IUOE, Local 150, IUOE, Local 399, Plumbers and Local 130. Full list here […]
— William “Billy” Morgan is running for state representative for the 79th District as a Democrat. He’s a Monee Township trustee who previously worked in then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s office. Republican state Rep. Jackie Haas has held the seat since December 2020.
As subscribers know, Morgan will likely have a primary opponent.
It’s been nearly a year since the CTA announced its first set of new schedules reducing bus and rail service. In the months since, service has been slashed several more times, resulting in the current schedules: 13% less bus service and 21% less rail service than before the pandemic. Now, as other transit agencies around the country restore their service to pre-pandemic levels (or better), even deeper cuts are likely to be coming to the CTA in October. Instead of cutting more transit service, it’s time to cut CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. […]
At Commuters Take Action, we used staffing and service delivery data from this July and August to create a mock schedule to predict what service is likely to look like in October. We found that, based on its current workforce, the CTA is likely to remove 34 rail runs from its weekday schedules and up to 117 runs from Saturday and Sunday schedules — a total service reduction of 404 runs, or an additional 5% of the current scheduled service. This would mean Chicago would have 28% less rail service than it did before the pandemic.
Carter has dismissed the CTA’s challenges as something all transit agencies across the nation are experiencing. But the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in the District of Columbia restored most of its bus and rail service to pre-pandemic levels in August 2020 and announced this June that its Metrobus schedules would begin to exceed pre-pandemic service. Recently, the WMATA announced its 11th rail schedule service increase in 12 months. The agency is now running more rail service than ever before in its history and anticipates adding more service next year.
And New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has increased service on its N, R, G, J, M, 1 and 6 lines this summer, cutting wait times for more than 3 million riders combined.
Other cities have not only returned to pre-pandemic public transit service levels, but they’ve also improved beyond them. Meanwhile, Chicago’s transit continues to decline. Carter has had years to prove he’s competent to run the CTA. Stacked up against leaders of other transit agencies, it’s clear that he’s failing.
* Also…
Dorval Carter refuses to acknowledge the schedule cuts, stubbornly calling them "schedule optimizations." Transit riders know the CTA isn't "optimized" — train bunching and gaps are still a common problem on top of the schedule cuts, causing even more delays and frustration. pic.twitter.com/Wyfb57hfQO
* WAND | Illinois clean energy jobs grew 3% in 2022: Clean energy businesses in Illinois added more than 3,600 workers in 2022, now employing 123,799 people in Illinois. That is according to a new study of employment data released by the national business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs and Evergreen Climate Innovations.
* NPR Illinois | One woman’s abortion story: ”I remember somebody on the same day as me. She said she already had five kids and just could not couldn’t handle any more kids. She knew having an abortion was going to be what was best for her because then she wouldn’t be taking anything away from her other children. But she still, she just felt so bad and was crying like the entire day. And then had to be outside with those other people. And I just felt so bad for her, too, because she really only had that one option to go with, and then she’s being berated for it walking in and out of the clinic.”
* Rockford Register Star | Most Rockford area defendants go free on first day of no cash bail in Illinois: Over five hours, Paccagnini presided over 26 defendant appearances ranging from domestic battery to endangering the life of a child. Of those, Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley asked Paccagnini to detain nine defendants after an arrest over the weekend. Paccagnini declined to detain all but two saying that measures like “no contact orders” and other pretrial release conditions should be sufficient to protect the community.
* Crain’s | Lolla gave Chicago economy a $422 million jolt, study says: According to a report commissioned by Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents and conducted by Texas-based research group AngelouEconomics, Lollapalooza generated more than $422 million for Chicago’s economy, compared to $336 million last year.
* Crain’s | A Chicago union struggles as Hollywood strikes drag on: IATSE Local 476 Chicago Studio Mechanics is the foundation of Illinois’ burgeoning entertainment industry, supplying the sets, lighting and makeup for your favorite local shows, from “Chicago P.D.” to “The Bear.” But as writers and actors remain on strike, the behind-the-scenes crew workers are struggling as the absence of work forces some into food insecurity and health insurance plans near a breaking point.
* SJ-R | Hospital, clinic websites, other functions are again functioning after cyber attack: Kelly Barbeau, Illinois Division director of marketing/communications for HSHS, did not respond to an email seeking clarification regarding what systems are still out. HSHS representatives said “federal law enforcement” was investigating the attack. Rebecca Cramblit, a public affairs officer for FBI Springfield, would not confirm or deny an investigation.
* WICS | EMS workers charged with first-degree murder appear back in court: “I don’t think there’s any remorse it is a very nuanced and involved process right now and in fact, as a judge from the bench described it this morning we are entering a brave new world,” Scott Hanken, Finley’s attorney, said. said there are new documents and discoveries by the state. Both Finley and Cadigan will appear back in court on Nov. 27.
* Sun-Times | Latinos are making economic gains in Chicago suburbs and deserve more political power: Latino population growth brings critical contributions to local suburban economies and to our regional economy as a whole. Latinos have the highest labor force participation rate of any racial or ethnic group in the region, and they represent the fastest-growing segment of spending power — a total of $68 billion in Illinois.
* ABC Chicago | Some Kia drivers say missed software update notices result in engine failure: “They said there was an update that I didn’t do and that I received a notice in 2018,” she said. “I never received the notice, so I contacted Kia, they said sorry we can’t help you, you didn’t do the update.” She said after calling the manufacturer, Kia emailed her a software update letter dated July 26, 2018.
* WICS | City officials discuss IEPA moving their headquarters to White Oaks Mall: Ward 7 Alderman Brad Carlson said about 40% of the work has been finished with project completion set for spring. Carlson feels the new headquarters is necessary due to IEPA’s current home sitting on the path of planned improvements to Springfield’s 9th Street rail corridor.
* NYT | The Kids on the Night Shift: The morning after Marcos’s injury, workers in Dreamland began talking about a child whose arm had been nearly torn off at the plant. Word soon spread through town. There were reasons that supervisors, teachers, federal inspectors and even police officers had said nothing for years about children working at the slaughterhouses. Everyone understood that the children were under extraordinary pressure to earn money to pay off their travel debts and help their families back home. They were living on a remote stretch of peninsula with few job options — if the plants shut down because of a labor scandal, the local economy could collapse. Now, with an eighth grader in the hospital, many wondered if they had been wrong to keep quiet.
* Kansas City Star | Republican candidate for Missouri governor vows to burn books after viral flamethrower video: A Republican candidate for Missouri governor on Monday vowed to burn books if elected after he was criticized for a video showing him burning cardboard boxes with a flamethrower. […] “In the video, I am taking a flame thrower to cardboard boxes representing what I am going to do to the leftist policies and RINO corruption of the Jeff City swamp,” Eigel said in a statement to The Star on Monday. “But let’s be clear, you bring those woke pornographic books to Missouri schools to try to brainwash our kids, and I’ll burn those too - on the front lawn of the governor’s mansion.”
* The Triibe | Chicago ballers like David Jasson are hoping the Windy City Bulls tryout opens the door to the NBA: On Sept. 16, hundreds of aspiring NBA G League players took their best shot at earning a Windy City Bulls training camp invitation at the team’s annual open tryout at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park, Ill. The Windy City Bulls have hosted training camps every year prior to the start of their regular seasons since the team debuted for the 2016-17 season.
During the very first initial appearance hearing in Cook County, 24-year-old Esmeralda Aguilar was released with conditions following her arrest on four felony charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto, Aguilar was attending the Mexican Independence Day festivities in the 200 block of North Wabash at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday when she allegedly pulled out a canister of pepper spray and sprayed it at four Chicago police officers.
This was captured on body camera video, Scaduto said, adding that three of the officers required hospitalization, while a fourth suffered pain and discomfort, but did not seek immediate medical treatment.
Aguilar’s public defender noted that this was her first Chicago arrest and that she is the sole provider for a young child. Prosecutors did not seek to detain her in jail pre-trial, so Marubio released her with some set conditions, including that she appear for all her hearings and does not commit another crime.
“You need to be in court on time every time,” Marubio said, noting that if Aguilar violated her release order, it would be revoked and she would be taken back into custody.
* Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran…
“Reports that on the very first day of no cash bail, a violent offender arrested for attacking four Chicago Police Officers, sending two of them to the hospital, was immediately released because the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office didn’t even bother to file a motion to seek detaining the accused are problematic. This highlights the misplaced priorities of Illinois’ criminal justice system when the prosecutor prioritizes the freedom of a violent offender over the safety of those police officers dedicated to protecting and serving our communities. Is there any wonder why police recruitment is at an all-time low in this state?”
Are we assuming she wouldn’t have been offered bail under the old system?
…Adding… Will has covered bond court for years, so he knows whereof he speaks…
Under the old system, she would have maybe paid a $500 bail before being released. The only difference between now and then is the money. She still cannot pick up any new cases. https://t.co/Xesa6qHbPe
Her criminal background, or lack of one would have a lot to do with the bail total. Bail was a math equation; points on and off for certain conditions. She likely would have needed several violent felony convictions to be detained.
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may require a commercial solar energy facility to be sited 500 feet (rather than 50 feet) to the nearest point on the property line of a nonparticipating property and 500 feet (rather than 150 feet) from the nearest point on the outside wall of an occupied community building or dwelling on nonparticipating properties.
Amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. Adds maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers to the list of facilities that must accept a relinquished newborn infant in accordance with the Act. Expands the definition of “relinquish” to include bringing a newborn infant to a maternity home or pregnancy resource center or leaving an infant in a child rescue pod. Defines “maternity home”, “pregnancy resource center”, and “child pod”. Provides that after a newborn infant is relinquished to a maternity home or pregnancy resource center, the facility must arrange for the transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged. Provides that the act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital to which the infant is transported and that hospital’s medical personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the infant. Provides that if the parent of a newborn infant returns to the maternity home or pregnancy resource center to reclaim the infant within 72 hours after relinquishment, the maternity home or pregnancy resource center must inform the parent of the name or location of the hospital to which the infant was transported. Authorizes the Department of Children and Family Services to adopt all necessary rules for the administration of the Act, including rules governing specifications, installation, maintenance, and oversight of child rescue pods.
Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that, for the 2023-2024 school year, the school board of Decatur School District 61 may allow pupils to attend for less than the required minimum term of actual pupil attendance in an emergency if those pupils (i) receive an additional 2 clock hours of school work beyond the end of the scheduled school day for up to 25 days and (ii) receive the same total amount of clock hours of school work that they would have received if they had attended for the required minimum term. Defines “emergency”. Effective immediately.
* A bullying prevention bill from Rep. Margaret Croke…
Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that the provisions concerning bullying prevention apply to nonpublic, sectarian schools.
Recognizes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2023 and supports and commends the efforts of those people and organizations who work tirelessly to help victims break free of the devastating effects of domestic abuse.
* Last week, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa suggested that the restaurants take a five-year phase-in of the elimination of the subminimum wage…
Like a diner who sends back a bad meal, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s City Council floor leader on Friday turned up his nose at the Illinois Restaurant Association’s latest attempt to stop the elimination of the subminimum wage for tipped workers.
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) said the restaurant industry’s latest proposal to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to $20.54 an hour at Chicago restaurants with more than $3 million in annual revenues is “dead on arrival.” […]
At Thursday’s City Council meeting, the ordinance that gives Chicago restaurants two years to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers was referred again to the Committee on Workforce Development.
“We have the votes to pass the ordinance as is. If changes are gonna be made, they need to happen soon, because the committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, and aldermanic briefings are scheduled for Tuesday,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
“It’s one thing to introduce an ordinance that’s a completely different structure to provide restaurant workers with higher wages. It’s another thing to say, ‘We want more years.’ If anyone is interested in five years, that’s the ask they should be making at this moment — not pushing this ordinance that is not gonna get anywhere,” he said.
Told that time was running out, [Sam Toia, president of the restaurant association] sent a text message that read, “I will definitely be communicating with folks over the next 24 hours! … We definitely need a five-year phase-in.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday signed off on a compromise that would deliver on his campaign promise to eliminate the “subminimum wage” for tipped workers while appeasing Chicago restaurants by giving them five years to swallow the 66% increase in labor costs.
It calls for tipped workers — currently paid 60% of Chicago’s minimum wage — to receive 8% annual increases beginning on July 1, 2024, until they reach 100% parity on July 1, 2028. […]
“The train was leaving the station. I know how to count votes. I counted the votes,” Toia told the Sun-Times. “I definitely think it could lead to some job loss. But it’s much easier for restaurant owners/operators to bake this into their budget over five years than over two years.”
Toia commended the mayor for his willingness to compromise, even though he clearly had the votes.
“I will say this about Mayor Johnson and his team: They communicated. They listened. They will communicate all day long, all night long. There was a lot of communication going on over the last 48 or 72 hours all the way into the late night. … They did start at two years. Less than 24 hours ago, I’m still hearing, ‘You’re lucky to get three,’” Toia said.
Just because you have the votes for something, doesn’t mean you should pass it as-is. Get some buy-in from the other side.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s projected budget deficit is a staggering $538 million, far exceeding the $85 million shortfall Lori Lightfoot predicted before being voted out of office.
Just last week, while speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago, Johnson rejected the idea of leaning on property owners to make up the difference.
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) believes Johnson may not have a grasp on the complexities of accounting factors and revenue streams that keep city services functioning in Chicago. […]
Lopez says there are currently fully funded programs within former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s final budget that could ostensibly leave Chicago in the black.
“You could literally cancel all of them right now and save about $600 million right now, which happens to be the exact number of the budget deficit,” said Lopez
The complete failure to ask an obvious follow-up question intrigued me, so I reached out to Lopez and asked him for the $600 million list of Lightfoot programs. His response…
I have a list of all vacancies built into the 2023 budget.
I asked for that and then asked for the program list. Ald. Lopez never produced a list of programs that could be cut in order to save $600 million.
Click here for the list of vacancies. Lopez said those vacancies account for “roughly $550-600″ million. There are 4,599 total vacancies on that list. At $100K per vacancy, that works out to about $460 million.
But here’s the real problem. The Chicago Police Department has 36 percent of those vacancies: 1,669 openings, which is by far the largest. Think a majority of the city council is gonna vote to defund all or even most of those positions?
Next highest? The Department of Public Health, with 500 vacancies.
* Two caveats. 1) This list is a year old. Several positions may have already been filled. 2) Not all of the remainder of those unfilled positions will be filled in the coming year. Likely not even close to all. Local governments everywhere are having a tough time recruiting employees. So, yeah, the proclaimed $538 million city budget deficit is way off the mark (and in more ways than just this).
* Let’s move on to another bit of fun with numbers.KSDK TV…
“Illinois begins its ill-advised experiment and it becomes the first state in the nation to completely eliminate cash bail in exchange for a system that promises to be more fair,” Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) said in a prepared video statement. “But fair for who? Because it’s certainly not fair for our county court systems.”
Bryant, who used to work for the state prison system, argued that removing cash bail from the criminal justice system would come with a cost to taxpayers if county boards elect to raise taxes to offset the loss of bond payments.
“Defunding our courts, limiting victim services, and making law abiding citizens pay for criminals bail with their taxes is just not justice,” she claimed.
Senate Republican staffers pointed to a Civic Federation task force report that found Illinois county clerks collected a combined $10,248,189 in fees from bond payments in 2021. An additional $28,008,893 in fees collected from bond payments in 2021 were disbursed to various other local government programs, including sheriff’s departments, probation offices, prosecutors, specialty courts, and child advocacy programs, according to the report.
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said the end of cash bail will hurt victims of crimes.
“It’s absolutely not fair to the victims of crime,” Bryant said. “From restitution payments to victims services, bonds and fees often contribute to vital services to help victims recover from their trauma.”
ACLU of Illinois’ Ben Ruddell said nothing in the Pretrial Fairness Act takes away the responsibility of someone convicted of a crime to pay restitution that’s been ordered by a court.
“We don’t take it out of their pocket on the front end, though, when they’ve been just accused of a crime,” Ruddell said. “We wait until they’ve been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which is how it ought to work.”
Based on the most recent 2021 data, the majority of bond payments are used to satisfy the payment of fees and fines, many of which support government functions at the state, local and county level. Across 95 Illinois counties that provided data for 2021 (excluding Cook County and a handful of smaller counties), bond payments processed and disbursed in criminal cases totaled $83.1 million. Just under half of those total bond payments, 48% or $39.5 million, were applied to satisfy court-ordered fees. A smaller portion, approximately 10%, were applied to satisfy court-ordered fines, and another 3% were applied to restitution payments. Approximately 39%, or $32.6 million, were refunded back to the person who posted the bond or paid directly to private attorneys.
Three percent of $83.1 million equals $2.5 million in restitution payments. That’s not a heavy local burden. And here are restitution payment numbers for the counties in Sen. Bryant’s district…
Total restitution for those counties was $199,947 out of $6,377,158, or 3 percent.
On August 31, 2023, the Village of Riverside and Zenna Ramos appeared before the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board’s Waiver Review Committee to appeal the denial of Ramos waiver of basic training this denial led to her decertification in April 2023.
The Village of Riverside was successful in our appeal, this success was not possible without the support of Governor J.B. Pritzker, State Representative LaShawn Ford, State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez, State Senator Mike Porfirio, Riverside Village President Joseph Ballerine and Board of Trustees.
On Monday, September 18, 2023, the Village received a letter acknowledging that Officer Ramos received her Waiver of Basic Training and requirements moving forward. We are excited to announce a public swearing in ceremony for Officer Zenna Ramos.
Officer Ramos’ swearing in ceremony is important as that appeal is symbolic of what the Village of Riverside and those that have supported Officer Ramos throughout this process stand for and represent. The collective “We” believe in second chances, that individuals can overcome their circumstances and be successful. If given the chance and the support system, the opportunities are only limited by the commitment to overcome those challenges.
Director of Public Safety Matt Buckley states; “Officer Ramos has demonstrated to me that she is the type of Officer we want working at the Riverside Police Department. She has worked tirelessly to prove herself and has shown resilience throughout this entire process.”
The swearing in ceremony will occur outside of Riverside Town Hall located at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside at 6:30 PM.
I don’t understand the process at the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Why are staff members empowered to make these decertification decisions? Why is it now up to a recently created review committee to make sure the proper staff actions were taken in the first place?
These potentially career-ending decisions should be made by the board itself, the same way it’s done at the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois State Board of Elections. Staff does the research, makes recommendations, and the boards then hold hearings and take public votes.
* The Illinois Prisoner Review Board took heavy fire from Senate Republicans the last couple of years. But it wasn’t until the super-majority Senate Democrats sided with the SGOPs that anything started to change. From March of last year…
The Senate Executive Appointments Committee moved six appointees to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board through committee on Tuesday, but the only appointee of Gov. JB Pritzker that came for a vote before the full Senate was rejected.
The 15-member Prisoner Review Board decides on the release and conditions of release for offenders from the Illinois Department of Corrections. The governor appoints the board, the Executive Appointments Committee votes on whether to recommend those appointments, and the full Senate determines whether the members will be approved.
On Tuesday morning, PRB member Jeff Mears was recommended by the Senate Executive Appointments Committee, but by late Tuesday afternoon he failed to reach the 30-vote threshold for approval by the full Senate.
In addition to 18 Republicans who voted no, 18 Democrats did not vote. Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, joined the GOP and voted no. […]
“Republicans have set out on a mission to dismantle a constitutional function of government, just like the previous governor,” [Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh] said in a statement. “We remain committed to ensuring that highly qualified nominees fill these roles, especially because we must fulfill our constitutional obligations for justice and cannot jeopardize key public safety functions of the board like revoking parole for those who violate the terms of their release.”
* And now the Tribune reports that the PRB went from approving the parole of about 40 percent of prisoners it reviewed in 2021, to 15 percent of a similar number of cases in the ensuing 20 months. Republicans are taking credit…
Edith Crigler, a Democrat who stepped down as the board’s chairperson earlier this year, said Pritzker didn’t do enough to stand up for the board when it came under fire from Republicans, and also said she thinks the attacks have had an effect on the board’s work.
“The members on the board now are thinking more about how their vote is going to be viewed by the General Assembly, and especially by the (Senate) executive appointment committee, than the merit of the case,” said Crigler, a social worker who was appointed to the board in 2011 by then-Gov. Pat Quinn. “I’ve sat in the room with them and I’ve listened to them deliberate. And they are very, very conservative.”
Republican state Sen. Steve McClure was among those leading the charge to reject two of Pritzker’s review board appointments in early 2022. He took credit for convincing the Democratic-controlled Senate that some of the board’s decisions were problematic.
“People often ask what Republicans do in the Capitol when you don’t have many numbers,” McClure, of Springfield, said, citing the Democrats’ 40-19 advantage over Republicans in the Senate. “But this is probably our biggest accomplishment as Republicans, was turning around the PRB.”
* Emily Miller, Senior Advisor to the Governor for Policy and Legislative Affairs and an old friend of this website, rightly pointed at the Senate Democrats, who are, after all, firmly in charge of their chamber…
Some legislators got scared in the wake of the SAFE-T Act and as a result, many PRB members who had impartially reviewed all the facts of a case and determined that a person should be released became un-confirmable. The Exec branch can only do so much on our own. What a waste. pic.twitter.com/Ug2sjgljdA
Still on this. Getting accolades from Rs for refusing to confirm Dem nominees is weird goal for a Dem supermajority & leads to lopsided decisions. PRB members make decisions using judgement that comes from lived experience. That’s enriched by a diversity of lived experience. https://t.co/eiX24RruyK
The SAFE-T Act works. Under the old cash-based system, this accused criminal bought his way out of jail so he could terrorize more people. Under the new safety-based system, he is locked up where he belongs.https://t.co/sBTziUx2DB
The first defendant in Lake County to be ordered held detained under the new SAFE-T Act is a man who was out on a $350,000 bond when he was arrested for residential burglary. […]
He had been charged late last month with aggravated battery of a peace officer, violation of order protection, two counts of disorderly conduct and aggravated assault. […]
During a first appearance hearing Monday morning, Lake County Raymond Collins found probable cause to hold Sasin for a detention hearing. […]
Potkonjak ordered Sasin to be detained during the pendency of his case after finding there was evidence Sasin committed the offenses.
The judge also found there were no conditions that could mitigate the real and present threat to the safety of others that Sasin poses.
The first day of bail reform in Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court began an hour late Monday as even small cases now demanded more paperwork and closer review. […]
Prosecutors sought to detain people in 14 of the cases. The judge granted their requests in five of them after evaluating the person’s criminal background and checking the assessment from Pretrial Services. […]
The first person to be ordered detained was a woman charged with misdemeanor domestic battery and simple assault following a fight with her sister and niece. The woman had three prior domestic battery arrests and two convictions — all with different complaining witnesses.
Hogan pointed to her history of domestic violence and the Pretrial Services finding that she was at risk for committing other crimes.
During a detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building Monday afternoon, an assistant state’s attorney argued to a judge that a defendant facing a felony weapons charge should be held in jail while awaiting trial.
“The defendant did in fact flee on foot while holding a handgun,” Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Sorrentino said. “He was seen on camera pointing the gun at an individual … the state’s position is that the defendant poses a real and present threat to safety.”
Assistant Public Defender Lillian McCartin, though, countered that the pod camera the prosecutor referenced had not been turned over to the defense. The prosecutor previously told the judge the state did not yet have the video. […]
In that case, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz ordered the defendant released on electronic monitoring, denying the state’s petition for detention.
* More…
* WTTW | A Look Inside Cook County Courtrooms on the Day Cash Bail Ends in Illinois: While court operations have changed — there’s technical and language differences, and some court calls are split into separate hearings — there did not appear to be any substantial difficulties, delays or hold ups during the first wave of hearings.
* KSDK | Illinois enters new era without cash bail: In St. Clair County, the chief judge ordered staff to convert one courtroom into a space for detention hearings. […] The first day of preliminary hearings was merely a preview of the heavier lifting that begins on Tuesday when the sheriff’s deputies will transport defendants to the court to appear at their detention hearings in person and defense attorneys will help them make their case to go home.
* WCIA | The SAFE-T Act is now in effect, and Central Illinois counties are navigating changes in courts, jails: In the Champaign County courtroom on Monday, Judge Brett Olmstead started arraignment by addressing the new cash bail system and explaining it to defendants. In one of the cases, the suspect was issued a bond over the weekend but was in court the day the SAFE-T Act went into effect. “It was a timing issue because we had one individual who was arrested over the weekend and the cash bond was set in weekend court, so there was a bit of confusion about what to do with him,” Julia Rietz, the Champaign County State’s Attorney, said.
* WMBD | A new era dawns in Peoria County as No Cash Bail comes to local courtrooms: The other case, the second man, was more gray. Here, Assistant Public Defender Steve Glancy was able to argue that the crime, harassment through an electronic device, didn’t rise to the level of being a detainable offense. In the past, Glancy would have argued for a lower bond but not whether his client was held without bond pending trial. […] All of which convinced Donahue to release him but even then, there was confusion as Donahue, a long-time veteran of Peoria County courts, both as a judge and as a defense attorney, sought to put conditions on the man’s release such as electronic monitoring, a curfew and to check in with county probation officials. But unlike in the past, he had to put those in a written order.
* KWQC | Confusion in Rock Island County courtroom as no-cash bail takes effect: One case involved Jason Wright. He’s been held for months on gun and drug charges. […] [His wife, Rebecka] watched each case for hints about what might happen to her husband. And while some high-level defendants were let go today, most were detained – including Jason Wright. The judge said he had about a quarter pound of cocaine and a “virtual arsenal” of guns in his house.
* CBS Chicago | Illinois becomes first state to end cash bail: One of the first hearings in what was once bond court Monday was the case of Cortez Murphy. Prosecutors said Murphy, who was on an electronic ankle monitor for a burglary charge, damaged the monitor last week and fled from police as his bracelet siren activated. […] With those factors at play, the judge Murphy was a “high-level flight risk,” and his release was denied. Details, not dollars, determined that Murphy will stay locked up.
* Herald Review | No-cash bail has its first day in Macon County court: The first arraignment case to be heard in Macon County Circuit Court under the new no-cash bail law turned out to be a Decatur teenager accused of an ambush stabbing murder. And a judge decided that particular defendant wasn’t going anywhere and had to remain in custody. But for most of the rest of the docket, heard over the course of an hour Monday afternoon, it was a different story: of the 12 cases in all that came up, Judge Lindsey Shelton found grounds to release nine defendants on charges ranging from domestic violence to battering police officers.
* WCBU | First day of no-cash bail sees split decisions in Peoria County court: In Peoria, the first day saw only two hearings come before Circuit Court Judge Sean Donahue. In both instances, the State’s Attorney’s office filed petitions seeking to have the defendant detained until trial. […] Donahue sided with the defense and denied the petition to detain the defendant. However, he did impose pretrial conditions, including electronic monitoring, no contact with the victim and the victim’s family, a 7 p.m.-7 a.m. curfew, no possession of any weapons and no out-of-state travel without permission from pretrial services.
* WSPD | Local police chief, state’s attorney say they’re uncertain about outcomes after Illinois ends cash bail: Metropolis Police Chief Harry Masse said it’s his job to enforce the law, but he is concerned about the possible negative outcomes the SAFE-T Act could have on his community. “I hope I’m wrong. I’m hoping that you’ll come back next year and I’ll see nothing change. We haven’t had any offenders that we released on cashless bail do something more serious while they were awaiting trial,” he said.
* SJ-R | Cash bail ends in Illinois but further reform is still a possibility: The hearing requirement has some counties, particularly those downstate, concerned they lack the staff to meet demands. To account for an expected increased demand on public defenders, the state invested $10 million to create the Public Defender Fund where all counties outside of Cook County receive anywhere from $77,000 up to $147,555.
* Capitol News Illinois | State Police rules for assault weapons permits begin Oct. 1: According to the statute, those affidavits must include the applicant’s name, date of birth and FOID card number. Applicants also need to provide the make, model, caliber, and serial number of each weapon, and a statement testifying that they own a locking mechanism for the weapon.
* Tribune | House Democrats drop PR firm that helped Madigan on #MeToo allegations while also working with accuser: While working with Madigan, SKDK had hired a private contractor to help provide Hampton and other survivors with public relations support in a deal paid for by Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, a women’s advocacy group. SKDK told the Tribune in August that this work was “wholly separate from any work helping Speaker Madigan address systemic cultural problems within his office.”
* SLPD | U.S. Steel to idle only operating blast furnace at Granite City plant, citing auto strike: U.S. Steel plans to temporarily idle one of the blast furnaces at its Granite City plant and shift some work to other facilities, citing softening demand from the automotive industry during the United Auto Workers strike. That furnace is the only one currently operating at the plant. A local United Steelworkers representative said Monday that about one-third of the union employees there work in the areas that will be affected, where the plant converts ore and pellets into metal slabs.
* Labor Tribune | Pritzker praises Labor unions at Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council awards dinner: Pritzker also said he was amused that frustrated drivers sometimes complain about all the orange construction cones that can slow traffic on the state’s road and bridge projects. “I want to say sorry, (but) not sorry,” he said. The more orange cones there are, the more that prevailing wage work is getting done, he said.
* Tribune | Chicago inspector general’s office seizes computers from city treasurer’s office: The move by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s staff comes after the release late last month of a 2020 letter that laid out a series of accusations by two aides Conyears-Ervin had fired who said the treasurer misused taxpayer resources and abused the powers of her office.
* Crain’s | UAW to unveil next wave of striking plants Friday: The UAW will expand its strike against the Detroit 3 on Friday if negotiations this week stall, President Shawn Fain said. “If we don’t make serious progress by noon on Friday, Sept. 22, more locals will be called on to stand up and join the strike,” Fain said in a video posted by the union Monday evening. “Autoworkers have waited long enough to make things right at the Big 3. We’re not waiting around and we’re not messing around.”
* Sun-Times | Johnson unveils city reforms to fight environmental racism: The proposals include new policies for city departments that include better response times to environmental complaints, air monitoring and measures to reduce air pollution, public engagement around planning and development, and investments in so-called environmental justice communities, areas that receive a disproportionate share of pollution.
* News Gazette | Danville casino still waiting to get approval for sportsbook: Despite assurances from casino officials in March that the sportsbook would be open in time for kickoff of the NFL season — if not sooner — the facility is still awaiting approval from the state, General Manager Juris Basens said Monday.
* Hyde Park Herald | Local CPS students work on social-emotional learning: In the program, which meets after school four days a week, Tinubu, a visual arts and photography student, said he found ways to express himself that helped build his emotional resilience. “Art, in a way, could be like a comfort,” Tinubu said. “Art works with emotions. As you look at the art it gives you a warm emotion. You envision yourself in it.” Overall, he said the program helps him gain more control of his emotions to form stronger interpersonal connections with his peers and parents.
* Crain’s | Illinois has a new best university in revamped U.S. News college rankings: The University of Chicago is no longer Illinois’ best university, according to the much-watched new rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Long ranked the most prestigious higher education institution in the state, U of C fell from No. 6 last year to No. 12 in this year’s report.
* Tribune | Ferrero opens downtown innovation lab, marking a return of chocolate-making to Marshall Field building: Details of the new operation are closely guarded. The Tribune was allowed to enter the labs where food scientists will research the development of new cookie products, but not its chocolate labs or the innovation center, where a team will conduct long-term research in support of products that could hit shelves a decade from now. Nor was the Tribune permitted to view the “sensorial” or “analytical” facilities, where workers will participate in blind taste tests of new products and evaluate their properties down to the gram.
* SJ-R | Announcement expected about new service coming to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport: Springfield Airport Authority and Springfield Sangamon County Growth Alliance officials will make a joint announcement today at 10:30 a.m., according to a press release from the groups. SSGA executive board chairman Ed Curtis, Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher, SSGA chief executive and president Ryan McCrady, and SAA executive director Mark Hanna are expected to speak.
The top Democrat in the Illinois House of Representatives said that he and his colleagues are cutting ties with the public relations firm SKDK after learning that the firm failed to disclose an apparent conflict of interest in a 2018 sexual harassment and retaliation scandal.
Emanuel “Chris” Welch, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, made the announcement following NPR’s reporting that SKDK helped advise a powerful Illinois politician on how to respond to a sexual harassment retaliation lawsuit. SKDK was simultaneously working with a #MeToo advocacy group supporting the accuser in the lawsuit.
“The glaring conflict of interest and conduct in this case sends a chilling message to victims and survivors that they can’t even trust the people who claim to be their greatest supporters,” Welch said in a statement to NPR. “We find this to be deeply disheartening and disqualifying for us.”
Welch’s decision was first reported by Capitol Fax, a newsletter that covers Illinois politics. In his comments to Capitol Fax, Welch specifically called out Anita Dunn, who is currently a top adviser in President Joe Biden’s White House. […]
“While this error in judgment happened more than five years ago, we understand the decision made by Illinois House Democrats,” SKDK spokesperson Mike Czin said in an emailed statement. “We are proud of the work we have done to support survivors, and we will redouble our efforts to regain trust.”
What we should have made clear is that we find these practices disqualifying. What SKDK and Anita Dunn did in the Alaina Hampton case has impacts well beyond Ms. Hampton, and sends a chilling message to victims and survivors that they can’t even trust the people who claim to be their greatest supporters.
We will not engage SKDK or Ms. Dunn in the future.
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement as the elimination of cash bail is now effective in Illinois:
“The end of cash bail means the legal deck is stacked against the victim and community in favor of the criminal. This law makes it more difficult for police officers and prosecutors to keep our communities safe by ensuring offenders in most cases can walk free shortly after committing a heinous offense. Ending cash bail has produced harmful results in other cities and states, and we have no reason to believe Illinois will be any different. We can only hope that innocent victims’ lives are not the ultimate price we have to pay.”
* Press release…
Cash bail ends September 18th and will be the last day the State of Illinois requires criminals to post bail for a crime they committed. State Representative Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) is very concerned about the repercussions that will occur and is supporting law enforcement through this transition. Rep. Coffey had this to say:
“Legislators on the other side of the isle refused to engage with local law enforcement about their concerns over eliminating cash bail,” said Rep. Coffey. “Apparently, public safety is not as important as a political agenda that favors criminals. Policies like this curate detrimental effects that will impact the safety of families across the state.”
The SAFE-T Act, which includes the elimination of cash bail has been nationwide news. The controversial law is aimed at reducing crime in Illinois; however, multiple legislators, law enforcement sheriffs, and the public share growing concerns over public safety. According to local sheriffs, they expect to see a rise in crime rates, officers losing morale, and more corporations not pressing charges, to name a few red flags.
Families across Illinois will be on edge even more after September 18th. The cuffs have been taken off the criminals and placed on those who are supposed to protect us.
* Press release…
In celebration of the elimination of cash bail in Illinois, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement:
“Today we finally take the long-overdue step toward dismantling systemic racism and eliminating the practices which have created barriers to opportunities and obstacles to prosperity for far too long. Illinois continues to show the rest of the nation that monumental change is possible to make the criminal legal system fair, equitable and just for all.
“Finally, being poor is not a crime and will never be the sole reason a person remains incarcerated as they await their trial.
“We can take pride in the fact that Illinois has reformed its criminal legal system while focusing on community safety, combatting disparities, and removing wealth from decisions that should be about public safety. As much as we have achieved, more work is still ahead. Our work continues.”
— Chicago Ald. James Gardiner (45th) says he won’t seek re-election as ward committeeperson. “I am not seeking re-election as Democratic committeeman. To give my undivided attention toward surveying as alderman of the 45th Ward,” he told Playbook. Running for the seat so far are Joe Cook and Michael Rabbitt.
— State Rep. Jenn Ladisch-Douglass (45th) has announced she won’t seek re-election in 2024. “I absolutely love this work, and though I have made the very difficult decision to not seek re-election so I can focus on my family, I will continue to serve the great people of my district and the state until the end of my term,” the freshman rep said. Full statement here.
— Jackie Williamson has announced she’s running for state representative in the 47th District. Williamson, a Democrat, ran against Republican Rep. Amy Grant in 2022, receiving nearly 47 percent of the vote to Grant’s 53 percent.
— Tosi Ufodike has made it official: She’s running in the GOP primary for state representative in the 51st District. The seat is held by Democratic state Rep. Nabeela Syed.
Rabbitt ran for the House last year and lost to appointed Rep. Mike Kelly (D-Chicago). Ladisch-Douglass barely won in 2022 against then-Rep. Deanne Mazzochi. Rep. Grant’s district leans Democratic as does Rep. Syed’s.
* Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
With the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) two years ago, Illinois is on a path to 100% carbon-free energy by 2050 and has enabled the rapid expansion of clean energy installations.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and Chi Hack Night are excited to announce the Illinois Solar Map (https://ilsolarmap.com), the most detailed tool ever released to track the state’s rapid expansion of solar projects. Our interactive map allows you to explore solar projects by Census Tract, City/town, County, and State Congressional Districts, as well as by project category.
As of May 2023, at least 1,622,000 kilowatts of operating solar capacity have been installed in the State of Illinois. For comparison, Prairie State, the State’s largest coal power plant, is 1,630,000 kilowatts, illustrating just how far we’ve come in a few years, but still how far we have to go to reach 100% renewable energy in Illinois.
There are nearly 35,000 solar projects throughout the state, ranging in size from a single 0.6 kW solar panel to the 200,000 kW (200 megawatts) Prairie Wolf Solar project in Coles County.
A system designed to alert Chicago Police brass about which officers have been the subject of repeated police misconduct allegations could have been rolled out citywide in May 2021 — but it has yet to be fully implemented nearly two and a half years later, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
The University of Chicago Crime Lab began work on the so-called Officer Support System, also known as OSS, in 2016, and began testing it in a South Side police district in September 2020, only to face repeated and lengthy delays, caused in part by decisions by CPD leadership to transfer the staff members assigned to run the system to patrol, according to a letter obtained by WTTW News through the Freedom of Information Act.
A Daily Herald analysis of 67 suburbs shows half those towns are operating with fewer employees now than before the pandemic.
The analysis shows 38 towns reported fewer employees working in administrative positions, 31 have fewer public works employees and 28 have fewer public safety workers.
In towns such as Lombard, Palatine, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Gurnee, Batavia and seven others, staffing levels are down in all three sectors, data from suburban audits show.
“That’s definitely the trend nationally, too,” said Chris Goodman, an associate professor of public administration at Northern Illinois University. “The private sector employment has recovered from the pandemic, but the public sector has not at all recovered.”
In 1990, a suburban Chicago race for the Republican Party nomination for state representative between Penny Pullen and Rosemary Mulligan unexpectedly became a national proxy battle over abortion in the United States. But the hard-fought primary also illustrated the overlooked importance of down-ballot contests in America’s culture wars. Patrick Wohl offers the dramatic account of a rollercoaster campaign that, after attracting political celebrities and a media circus, came down to thirty-one votes, a coin toss to determine the winner, and a recount fight that set a precedent for how to count dimpled chads. As the story unfolds, Wohl provides a rare nuts-and-bolts look at an election for state office from its first days through the Illinois Supreme Court decision that decided the winner–and set the stage for a decisive 1992 rematch.
A compelling political page-turner, Down Ballot takes readers behind the scenes of a legendary Illinois election.
* I haven’t watched it all yet, but what I’ve seen so far is pretty impressive. First Lady MK Pritzker takes viewers on an extensive tour of the remodeled governor’s mansion…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* AP | Centuries after Native American remains were dug up, a new law returns them for reburial in Illinois: Key to the measure is first-time authority for tribes to rebury recovered remains in Illinois, which they much prefer to relocating them to states to which the U.S. government forced their relocation nearly two centuries ago. The Illinois State Museum, which holds remains from about 7,000 individuals, is prepared to reunify 1,100 of them with their tribes, according to Brooke Morgan, the museum’s curator of anthropology. Overall, institutions in Illinois can identify nearly 13,000 individuals that must be repatriated.
* Center Square | Rules for Illinois’ firearms registry filed as some expect low compliance rate: The emergency rules, which have yet to be published in the Illinois Register maintained by the Illinois Secretary of State, must now go before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Their next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17, more than two weeks after the registry is set to open.
* AP | Low Mississippi River limits barges just as farmers want to move their crops downriver: This is the second-straight year drought has caused the Mississippi to drop to near-record lows. With no significant rain in the forecast, it’s likely to keep falling. The shallow river is especially striking given the height of the river just months ago. A huge snowpack in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin quickly melted, forcing riverfront communities such as Davenport, Iowa, and Savanna, Illinois, to hurriedly erect barriers to stay dry in late April and early May.
* WBEZ | Girls are in a mental health crisis. This Chicago program could help.: A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2021, almost 60% of high school girls in the U.S. felt persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, nearly 20% had experienced sexual violence, and 25% had made a suicide plan. Clinicians, educators and policymakers around the country are looking for solutions. A recent study suggests that a Chicago-based program could be a model to help girls throughout the U.S. — especially girls of color — cope with the trauma and distress many face.
* Sun-Times | Environmental justice plan pushed by Mayor Brandon Johnson: The proposals include new policies for city departments that include better response times to environmental complaints, measures to reduce air pollution from large diesel-fueled trucks, public engagement around planning and development and investments in so-called environmental justice communities, areas that receive a disproportionate share of pollution.
* WCIA | Eastern Illinois Foodbank holds largest annual event for Hunger Action Month: People who want to continue to help can also donate money to Eastern Illinois Foodbank during Hunger Action month. The food bank said they can feed two people a day for every dollar donated. They are trying to raise $40,000 this month, for the 40 years they’ve been fighting hunger.
* Block Club | City’s Last-Minute Street Closures Didn’t Stop Mexican Independence Day Celebrations Downtown: On Wednesday, the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications said no street closures were planned for the weekend, but “traffic may be diverted to control traffic flow if needed.” But by Friday evening, street closures went into effect with little warning. Downtown streets were closed as car caravan traffic snarled the Loop to a halt.
* WCIA | State Fire Marshal announces $4 million in small equipment grants: The money is coming from the Small Equipment Grant Program, which was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 to eligible departments. 64 departments and EMS providers received a total of $1.5 million in March thanks to this program.
* AP | Rural hospitals are closing maternity wards. People are seeking options to give birth closer to home: Ultimately, doctors and researchers say, having fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe. One study showed rural residents have a 9% greater probability of facing life-threatening complications or even death from pregnancy and birth compared to those in urban areas — and having less access to care plays a part.
* Block Club | Don’t Be Alarmed By Swarms Of Flying Ants—They’re Just Having Sex In The Sky: It’s common for ants to fly in the fall and spring, though it can happen at any time throughout the year. Scientists don’t know exactly what triggers the ants’ flights, but decreasing amounts of daylight and increasing amounts of rainfall might provide “cues” that tell ants it’s time to take off, Suarez said.
* Tribune | Chicago skyline poses a risk as hundreds of millions of birds migrate south for the winter: As temperatures slowly drop in Chicago, 300 millions to 400 million birds are crossing the continent heading south to their nesting grounds for the winter, according to Annette Prince, director and president of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, a nonprofit dedicated to the respite and protection of migratory birds through daily rescue efforts. It’s been a busy few weeks for the organization, Prince said. Volunteers at the nonprofit pick up more than 100 birds a day. Most early mornings, she said, a team of a dozen volunteers covers an area of about a mile and a half, responding to calls from people who live and work downtown and have found birds littering the sidewalks and gutters.
* Tribune | From ice cream to illusions, immersive attractions are here to stay, and they’re one of the brightest spots in retail: The Museum of Illusions Chicago, an interactive exhibit that presents dozens of optical illusions, just signed a deal expanding into a vacant storefront next to its location at 25 E. Washington St. in the Loop. The expansion takes over space once occupied by a clothing retailer, and will change how the building looks to pedestrians, said Dan Shannon, the property’s asset manager. “This is the first time in years that we’ve had 100% of our retail space leased,” he said.
* Press release | Illinois Discontinues Statewide Testing of Freshwater Fish for Organochlorine Pesticides: Organochlorine pesticides, including DDT and other similar chemicals, have been banned for decades, but the state had tested for them since 1974 because they are “environmentally persistent” and can build up in the tissue of fish and other animals. But the levels of these pesticides found through that testing has diminished to near zero over the past nearly 50 years, allowing the state to discontinue testing for those chemicals.
During the campaign, Johnson proposed a 1%-2% “Big Banks Securities and Speculation Tax” that would raise $100 million. So, naturally, there’s worry he will try to use his considerable contacts in the General Assembly and CTU’s clout to persuade Gov. J.B. Pritzker to reverse his position on allowing Chicago to impose a transaction tax and ease the city’s structural deficit.
When he was asked last month about the transaction tax, Pritzker said, “Obviously, what we all want is a thriving financial services economy in the state and the city. I have not stood for a transaction tax, because I think it would be easy for those companies’ servers to move out of the state.” […]
I reached out to the two legislative leaders to see where they stood on allowing home rule units like Chicago impose a tax on electronic transactions.
Spokespersons for both Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch said their bosses opposed the idea.
“Harmon is opposed,” said Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson after checking with his boss, who employed Johnson early in his adult life.
“He is on the same page as the governor and Harmon,” said House Speaker Chris Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll about her employer, a Johnson friend.
So, all three state leaders are opposed and the mayor hasn’t revived the idea. But that didn’t stop a major news media outlet from claiming it is still somehow alive.
The letters are stamped all over the hallways of Chicago’s giant skyscrapers and grand office buildings. DRW, IMC, CME, Cboe.
These are some of the derivatives firms that collectively handle trillions of dollars a year in trades, greasing the wheels of global markets with everything from stock options to corn futures. Most of them have called Chicago home for decades — providing thousands of jobs within the city’s $75 billion finance industry.
Now, the firms’ commitment to the Windy City is being tested by some $800 million in taxes proposed by a new mayor staring down a budget gap that’s swelled to half a billion dollars. One idea is a levy on financial transactions, which has alarmed companies already worried about a jump in crime that shows few signs of abating.
Behind the scenes, market makers and exchanges are working together to press their case with policymakers, with firms that typically compete with each other sharing data to help explain their economic benefits to Chicago. While executives haven’t explicitly threatened to leave, in private conversations it’s clear they will consider quitting the city if crime remains an issue and the financial transaction tax passes.
The financial transaction tax is dead. Period. It’s not even being proposed. If they want to blame crime, that’s their right, but they shouldn’t hide behind the non-existent threat of a financial transaction tax.
…Adding… From comments…
It’s not pining. It’s passed on. This proposal is no more. It has ceased to be. It’s expired and gone to meet its maker. It’s a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn’t printed it again in Bloomberg, it’d be pushing up the daisies. Its metabolic processes are now history. It’s off the twig. It’s kicked the bucket, it’s shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. This is an ex proposal.
Court officials across the Chicago area say they’ll be ready when Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail on Monday, but that doesn’t mean some are any less concerned about a law they once decried as a threat to public safety. […]
The Pretrial Fairness Act lists crimes eligible for detention, from violent felonies and gun cases to sexual assaults and domestic attacks. It also allows someone to be detained if they are a flight risk.
But it will largely be up to prosecutors to decide when to actually seek detention, and then they will have to prove their case before a judge within 24 to 48 hours.
Researchers at Loyola University estimate roughly 37% of all arrests in Illinois – about 70,000 people — are at least potentially eligible for detention. They estimate as few as 15,500 could actually be detained.
Under the new law, people who are charged with the state’s lowest level offenses will likely never set foot in a jail cell, including at a police station after their arrest.
People charged with an offense lower than a Class A misdemeanor — littering, some speeding charges and possession of marijuana over the legal limit — will likely be released with a citation and a court date without having to be processed at a police station.
In these cases, people usually face no more than six months in prison if convicted and often are released on probation without any incarceration.
However, law enforcement agencies will still be given discretion in certain cases. For example, if a person continues to commit the offense after being cited, they can be taken into custody and held until they appear before a judge, which must occur within 24 hours.
In addition to eliminating money as a factor for release, the Pretrial Fairness Act is also intended to level the playing field and offer defendants more time to make a case against pretrial detention or excessive supervision orders.
Under the new system, there will be an “initial appearance” court call, where defendants will mostly be released with conditions, such as regular check-ins with authorities, as well as a court call for detention hearings made up of the more serious cases in which prosecutors seek to keep defendants incarcerated while they await trial.
Those hearings will be longer, with defense attorneys able to call witnesses to speak on behalf of the arrestee.
“We’re expecting them to be a little more in depth than the current 60-second bond hearing,” said Takenya Nixon, an attorney supervisor for the Cook County public defender’s office. “It’s … no longer one-sided.”
* More…
* Capitol News Illinois | Disparately resourced public defenders prepare for the end of cash bail in Illinois: Some bigger counties are better prepared than others for the changes required by the PFA. Cook County, for example, is one of a few counties that has for years been moving toward limiting the use of cash bail. Additionally, the county’s criminal courthouse on Chicago’s near-south side has for years been holding bond court every day of the week – a practice shared by other larger county court systems in Illinois.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois leaders update as state becomes 1st in nation to end cash bail: Judges will also be asked to determine whether the defendant poses a flight risk if released, according to the text of the bill. So-called “forcible felonies” include first and second-degree murder, predatory criminal sexual assault, robbery, burglary, residential burglary, aggravated arson, kidnapping, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, or any other felony that involves the use or threat of physical violence. Hate crimes, attempts of crimes that are detainable, animal torture and DUI causing great bodily harm were added to the list in a subsequent amendment to the legislation.
* WAND | No cash bail law goes into effect in Illinois: If the judge makes any of those determinations, then the defendant may be held in jail before going to trial. Detention hearings would not be mandatory for crimes that include probation as a possible punishment, but judges can still make the determination to keep those defendants incarcerated pending trial if they determine they are a risk to the public.
* ABC Chicago | Illinois becomes 1st state to abolish cash bail as Pre-Trial Fairness Act takes effect: The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Assault supported the end to cash bail, saying judges will now take more careful consideration of the risk posed by defendants. “Our now former system, which I’m very excited to say, didn’t make survivors safe,” Madeleine Behr with the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Assault said. “People could get out of jail simply because they had the money to pay.”
* WGEM | Adams County prosecutors, deputies talk about the official end of cash bail: “I think the law could have been written in a way that was much clearer and much easier to implement, but we’re beyond that point now,” said Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones. Jones made it clear, that come Monday, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office isn’t releasing any one from the jail because of the new law. Instead, it will change the procedure by which someone is arrested or not and if they will remain in jail.
* Shaw Local | Will County prepares for cashless bail that goes into effect Monday: The most important issue for defense attorneys Monday will be filing petitions to get their clients a detention hearing as soon as possible, said Jeff Tomczak, a prominent defense attorney who was the Will County state’s attorney in the early 2000s. […] “It’s going to be a big rush, real early on,” Tomczak said. “I don’t envy the chief judge or the presiding judge of the felony division.”
* Amanda Pyron | Court actors must implement SAFE-T Act for crime survivors: When our elected officials and law enforcement perpetuate misinformation about the law, they put survivors at risk by misstating their rights under this new system. Survivors deserve to know how exactly their county state’s attorney and local law enforcement will enforce the new law, and ensure it upholds public safety for all people. It is imperative we set aside political differences and implement the law correctly so all survivors across Illinois can get the rights and opportunities afforded to them under the SAFE-T Act.
* Daily Herald | Moving beyond bail: How suburban court officials have prepared for dramatic change: Third District Presiding Judge Jill Cerone Marisie anticipates it will be business as usual on Monday at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. Preparation for cashless bail began 18 months ago. For the last six months, courthouse personnel have participated in weekly and biweekly meetings as well as in-house training. That training culminated in a procedural run-through last week with about 100 judges, prosecutors, assistant public defenders, pretrial services division representatives and officers from 20 police departments.
* CBS Chicago | Illinois becomes first state to end cash bail: Opponents of the law have said judges need more discretion than currently allowed to decide whether a defendant should remain in jail. Special Assistant State’s Attorney Alan Spellberg, representing Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, argued that the pretrial release provisions of the SAFE-T Act “unduly interfere with the judiciary’s authority to set bail.”However, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that “the legislature has long regulated the bail system.”
* Block Club Chicago | Illinois Is Officially Done With Cash Bail As Pretrial Fairness Act Begins: “Cash bail does not make communities safer, and it never has; it has simply exacerbated existing inequities and disparities in the criminal legal system,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement over the summer. “Pretrial detention, as a result of the inability to pay bail, further decimates communities that have long been most impacted by mass incarceration, and the destabilization of households and families.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) has filed an emergency rule with the Illinois Secretary of State to implement the Protect Illinois Communities Act (Act). On January 10, 2023, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Public Act 102-1116 regulating the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches in Illinois. The Act went into effect immediately upon signing. Individuals who possessed an assault weapon, assault weapon attachment, .50 caliber rifle, or .50 caliber cartridge before the Act took effect are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) Card account prior to January 1, 2024. A copy of the emergency rule will be posted on the ISP website at www.isp.illinois.gov/Home/AssaultWeapons, but in the interim, can be found in this news release posted on the ISP website.
Individuals can begin submitting their endorsement affidavits online beginning October 1, 2023. Affidavits must be submitted online through a FOID Card account. Individuals can access their FOID Card account from the ISP Firearms Services Bureau website, or going directly to www.ispfsb.com/Public/Login.aspx. If you have forgotten your username or password, links on the login page will help you recover or reset your information. The same Firearm Service Bureau links can be used to create an account for those who do not have one. You will need an email address, driver’s license or State ID, and FOID card to create an account. A tutorial video on how to create an account can be found on the ISP FOID webpage under Application Help.
Individuals who need help submitting an endorsement affidavit can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page or visit one of the ISP FOID Kiosks, both of which can be found on the ISP website at www.isp.illinois.gov/Home/AssaultWeapons.com. Do not bring your weapon, ammunition, or accessories if you visit a Kiosk. A tutorial video on how to submit an endorsement affidavit through your FOID account will be available on the ISP website by October 1, 2023.
That’s why this plan is a roll of the dice with potentially serious consequences. Hundreds of accused felons who would otherwise be in jail or tethered to a cash bond will be on their own.
Gov. Pritzker may be unconcerned about it. But he lives in the kind of crime-free neighborhood and is protected by the kind of personal security to which most people can only aspire.
It’s not an unfair hit on a billionaire governor who has 24/7 Illinois State Police protection. However, the legislators who sponsored the legislation and those who voted for the bill along with the advocates who fought for passage have no special law enforcement protections. And some of those folks spoke up today.
* Here’s one of the bill’s chief sponsors, Rep. Justin Slaughter, who lives on the city’s South Side…
What we’re doing here is reworking our system, streamlining our system to address those higher level more violent, dangerous alleged offenses. But at the same time addressing the vicious cycle of poverty that’s had such a negative impact on communities of color. […]
I want to preempt some of the questions and first say please be patient as the state rolls this out. There is a transition period. … Let’s start to pay attention to what offenses are not in detention and which ones are. Keeping it kind of basic here, your lower level of nonviolent offenses are not going to be eligible for detention, but those higher level offenses will be, indeed, eligible for detention. We’re putting a lot in place for speedy trials and remote hearings. Start paying attention to that. Also one hallmark of this is building out a statewide, warm and robust statewide public defenders program. We’re going to be seeing more accurate, more robust hearings comes along with is having more public defenders and ultimately that will manifest into judges having more discretion to make these critical decisions.
This law is rooted in true community safety. And if folks do their job, They’ll set us up on to a path of fairness, safety and equity. We’ve done the Obamacare-like shenanigans in the court, have seen multiple elections both local and state, and right wingers have engaged in literal misinformation, fake newspapers, literal fake newspapers. I ask that they set aside their politics and their old ways, and join us in giving their constituents a better life. To quote FDR, there’s nothing to fear but fear itself. And those who peddle fear are only going to make matters worse. I repeat, the agents of fear who don’t do their jobs are going to make their communities less safe.
* During a separate press conference today by proponents, Greg Bishop asked about concerns expressed by the Sangamon County sheriff that jail populations will actually increase (the opposite of The Purge) because people will skip out due to no cash bail. Benjamin Ruddell of the ACLU responded…
There’s no reputable research that shows that requiring people to pay money bond is actually an effective way of getting people to come back to court. People come back to court because of the incentives that exist, that you know they can have a warrant for their arrest, they can be brought to jail if they don’t come to court. And what other jurisdictions that have have lessened the use of money bond have demonstrated is that sending somebody a court reminder via text or a phone call is a much more effective way of getting people to come back to court than charging money bond, which has not been shown to increase court appearance. So all the research as well as the experience of states that have begun to phase out money bond suggests that rates of court appearance won’t go down as a result of this law. So we don’t think that the fear is well-founded, that jail populations will increase because of an increase of people failing to appear in court.
* There’s so much info out there today that I thought I’d divide the SAFE-T Act implementation day into some chunks. Let’s start with electronic monitoring. Here’s Hannah Meisel…
While Illinois isn’t any closer to creating a statewide public defender system, the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services represents a major step forward in providing resources to judicial systems across the state. Starting Oct. 1, OSPS will partner with 71 counties. For months, it’s been offering services such as compiling information about new arrestees. […]
In August, OSPS began oversight of electronic monitoring in participating counties, and began picking up the tab for those ordered to wear the GPS tracking devices – fees that would sometimes drive the poorest defendants into debt.
[St. Clair County Public Defender Cathy MacElroy] said she was glad her clients would no longer be saddled with the cost. But she also noted that in St. Clair County, electronic monitoring isn’t used “a ton.”
She predicted that, under the PFA, judges might even order ankle monitors less often, as prosecutors would have to present specific findings for why the GPS tracking would be necessary. The PFA requires judges to find the “least restrictive” pretrial conditions necessary for a defendant, and the law provides that individuals on electronic monitoring can have two days per week to move freely so they can accomplish daily tasks.
Last month, the state rolled out a new program that will provide electronic monitoring in 70 counties, the first time it has been overseen by one agency across such a wide swath of Illinois, according to the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services.
But the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, an organization that worked to pass the abolition of cash bail, put out a statement criticizing the statewide electronic monitoring program, arguing that expanding such programs violate the “spirit” of the Pretrial Fairness Act.
“It feels like a half-baked plan that somebody put together to convince someone the (state is) doing something so that the streets aren’t running wild with criminals,” said James Kilgore, who works for a reentry program in downstate Champaign and is a researcher for an organization challenging electronic monitoring programs.
Kilgore said awaiting trial on house arrest can make it difficult for people to keep jobs and meet daily needs.
The advocates are also voicing concerns about the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, a new agency created by the Illinois Supreme Court. Cara Smith, the office’s director, announced in August that OSPS was assuming responsibility for electronic monitoring in 70 of the state’s 102 counties. Her announcement talked up EM as “a tool to reduce jail populations, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to monitor domestic violence and other high-risk offenders.”
As of [last] week, those 70 counties have roughly 100 individuals on EM, Smith told WBEZ.
Smith’s announcement tied the electronic monitoring effort to this coming Monday, when cash bail ends: “By September 18th, active GPS electronic monitoring will be available to all OSPS counties at no cost to the county and at no cost to the defendant.”
But Smith said the timing does not mean her office is urging judges to order EM as a substitute for cash bail.
“It couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Smith said. “We are working to try to serve the counties whom we serve as their pretrial agency and have been working virtually around the clock to transition those existing cases over.”
[McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally] said his office will find ways to ensure dangerous offenders remain behind bars pre-trial. When that is not possible, he said measures, such as electronic monitoring, will be put in place to minimize risk.
Among other things, sitting Illinois judges are prohibited by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 4.1 from making “speeches on behalf of a political organization” or soliciting funds for a political organization or candidate, except when they’re up for election or retention.
So, you might ask, what the heck was Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford thinking when she decided to accept an invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Lake County Democratic Women’s annual fundraising gala on Sept. 9?
The registered political action committee is one of the most influential independent countywide campaign groups of its kind in all of Illinois, having helped recruit, train and then elect dozens of local candidates over the years (including Rochford herself).
“Illinois voters deserve a fair and impartial state Supreme Court that’s free of and from politics, which does not appear to be the case here,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe in a press release last week about Rochford’s speech.
“The Illinois Supreme Court’s Code of Judicial Conduct (Canon 4, Page 48-50) is clear: sitting judges who aren’t up for election shall not speak at political functions supporting the election of candidates,” the Illinois Republican Party’s press release claimed. A Republican Party official said later we can expect a formal complaint will be filed soon.
The controversy boils down to two questions about the Supreme Court’s rule: 1) Did Rochford make a speech on behalf of a political organization? And 2) Did her role as keynote speaker mean she was soliciting funds for the Lake County Democratic Women PAC?
Rochford’s defenders say “no” to both questions. She gave a non-political speech “to” a political group, not “on behalf” of it. And she didn’t do anything to solicit any money for the political action committee.
Rochford herself issued a rare statement to me last week: “I receive speaking requests from many groups and organizations. I believe it is important for judges to appear in public and help educate people about the Judicial Branch. My speech at this event was about the work of the Illinois Supreme Court, its non-partisan nature and the collegiality that is fostered by our unique lodging arrangement during court terms. The content of my speech was not political in any way and so should not be construed to have been provided on behalf of any political candidate or organization.”
Others who were at the event confirmed Rochford’s claim she said nothing that could be construed as partisan or campaign related in nature.
I totally get the narrow and lawyerly interpretation. Any formal Republican complaints are likely doomed because of it. These are lawyers, after all. Words are carefully chosen for good reason.
And, more importantly, we elect our judges in Illinois, so that means we do have to accept they are inherently political beings. If they were all appointed and confirmed by the state Senate, or whatever, it would be a different story.
But, I mean, come on.
Keynote speakers are usually invited because they help legitimize the organization and, as a result, drive increased attendance. And robust attendance is obviously very crucial to the success of any annual fundraiser.
So, while Rochford didn’t technically speak “on behalf” of the group, she did help the Lake County Democratic Women further prove its bona fides by agreeing to speak.
And while she did not directly raise money for the group that helped nominate her in a competitive Democratic primary and then elect her over a Lake County Republican general election opponent, it should have been abundantly clear her very presence undoubtedly helped the group raise at least some campaign money that it might possibly not have brought in without her.
Rochford has been around politics for a very long time. She most certainly knows this speech was far different from presenting to a law school symposium or bar organization.
I’m not saying judges and justices should cloister themselves away like monks. But they should at least try to keep up appearances when they’re not actively campaigning, especially during an era when every decision by just about every Supreme Court in the land, including the U.S. Supreme Court, is being analyzed for political bents.
After 1½ weeks of trying, Rolling Meadows resident Frank Leo got a lucky break — an appointment to renew his driver’s license.
It was 49 miles away in Joliet, but with his license due to expire Monday, the 83-year-old wasn’t taking any chances.
“It has been impossible to get an appointment” within a reasonable distance, Leo said. “It is a fight every morning to find what facility has openings. And they disappear in seconds. It’s absolutely ludicrous.”
A number of other drivers, mainly seniors, described similar problems using the Illinois secretary of state’s new Skip the Line system that debuted Sept. 1.
The SoS will have two mobile units for seniors soon, and time slots will be blocked out for seniors.
I’ve heard of other problems with the new appointment system, but I was wondering if any of y’all have had any difficulties with the new system so far.
* Capitol News Illinois | Disparately resourced public defenders prepare for the end of cash bail in Illinois: “As a defender, one of the hardest things I have to do is have conversations with mothers, sisters…how are they gonna pull together the money to get their person out of jail?” Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, who was heavily involved in crafting the law in his previous job at the Illinois Justice Project, said at a recent media briefing about the end of cash bail.
* WBEZ | As state leaders fight to protect access to books, Chicago-area libraries keep getting threats: Michaela Haberkern figured a bomb threat at Aurora Public Library would happen sooner or later. It did on Tuesday. “I knew that [bomb threats were] happening across northern Illinois over the past six weeks or so,” said Haberkern, the library’s executive director. “We made sure that our emergency procedures were up to snuff, we made sure all the staff had recent and up-to-date training and so that they would know what to do. So when it happened, I don’t really know that I had any feelings. I was just like, ‘OK, we’re doing this.’”
* WSPY | Democrat announces election bid for 70th District: Randi Olson, of Cortland, is announcing that she’ll seek the Democratic nomination to run for State Representative of the 70th District which covers parts of DeKalb, Kane, and McHenry counties.
* Windy City Times | Pritzker and Brady-Davis honored at Planned Parenthood gala: In a press release, PPIA President and CEO Jennifer Welch said, “This is one of the most important evenings for our supporters. Together we are celebrating recent legislative victories that strengthen protections for providers and patients in Illinois and those forced to flee from another state, expand access to abortion and gender-affirming care, and ensure Illinois continues to be a haven in the Midwest.”
* Tribune | Markham’s ex-public library director charged with embezzling more than $770,000 from cash-strapped town: According to the charges, Menzies was executive director of the Markham Public Library and managed the library’s finances, employees and services. He also oversaw funds provided by the neighboring village of Posen, which paid Markham thousands of dollars every month for its residents to be able to access Markham’s library facilities, the indictment stated.
* The Intelligencer | Troy man released from custody after posting bail in first-degree murder case: Perham’s bond was set at $1 million, so he would have had to post 10% or $100,000 to be released. Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas A. Haine announced Wednesday afternoon that Perham was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the wake of the early Tuesday death of Maha Tiimob, with whom he had a relationship, according to authorities.
* Reuters | Rahm Emanuel takes the spotlight with snarky China tweets: Emanuel, a legendary Washington political fighter who has served three Democratic presidents, had written on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the recent disappearances of top Chinese officials resembled Agatha Christie’s best-selling crime novel “And Then There Were None,” which follows the mysterious deaths of guests at a mansion in Britain.
* WBBM | Lt. Governor positive about business, trade after leading delegation in Japan: “When I think about how important it is, this is an example of why these types of trips and relationship-building opportunities are so critical. There is a real opportunity to attract those businesses or grow those businesses right here in Illinois.”
* The Guardian | Post-Roe, anti-abortion groups target law protecting clinics from violence: It was 22 October 2020, and one anti-abortion advocate was livestreaming a group of activists who were at the Washington DC-area clinic to, in their view, “rescue” people from having abortions. […] The woman in the video is Lauren Handy, a prominent anti-abortion activist who, along with four other defendants, was convicted late last month over her actions that October day. (Three more defendants in the case were convicted on Friday.) Specifically, the defendants were found guilty of illegally blockading the clinic in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or Face Act, a federal law that penalizes people for going beyond peaceful protest to threaten, obstruct or injure someone who is trying to access a reproductive health clinic, or to vandalize a clinic. They may now spend up to 11 years in federal prison.
* Crain’s | Jim McMahon to launch cannabis line in Illinois: Jim McMahon finally found his target. The former Bears quarterback has lined up a partner to manufacture and distribute his Mac 9 brand of weed in Illinois. Revenant Holdings, the company co-founded by McMahon and fellow NFL players Kyle Turley and Eben Britton, has been looking for a way into the Illinois market for about a year.
