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Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I told subscribers about this on Friday. Politico…

State Rep. Kelly Burke (36th) isn’t seeking reelection in 2024. Burke, who’s also the mayor of Evergreen Park, says she decided to step away from state government after recovering from colon cancer. “I finished chemotherapy at the end of June and was focused on restoring my strength and thinking about prioritizing,” she told Playbook. Burke said she’ll be able to put her focused energy on being mayor. “I will continue to do that as long as they’ll have me.” Burke has been in the General Assembly since 2011 and currently chairs the Revenue and Finance Committee.

She’s also an Assistant Majority Leader and a mentor to several legislators. From Speaker Welch…

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside Leader Kelly Burke. For as long as I’ve known Leader Burke, she has always been a straightforward, honest, hardworking legislator who has earned the respect and trust of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle. She’s remained a passionate advocate for her community and has been a pillar of strength in our Democratic Caucus.

“She has championed important pieces of legislation that will positively impact our state for years to come. Namely, the AIM High Scholarship program, which expands needs-based financial aid for students who may not have the means to go to college and the Scott Bennet ABLE Savings Program, which helps families of special needs children save for their future.

“She’s been a calming voice on my leadership team, someone I can always count on to approach situations pragmatically and fairly, and earned herself the well-respected position of Revenue Chair for the 103rd General Assembly. Selfishly, I would love to keep Leader Burke on my team for as long as I am blessed to serve, but if there is anyone who deserves to spend more quality time with her loved ones, it’s Leader Burke. We will certainly miss her and her institutional knowledge, but I’m grateful Leader Burke will be serving out the remainder of her term and we don’t have to say goodbye to her quite yet.”

* Candidates can often do really well in the first reporting quarter, but then they stall out once they’ve exhausted their contact list. We’ll see…

A Naperville human rights lawyer who’s challenging U.S. Rep. Bill Foster in the 2024 Democratic primary for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District seat narrowly outraised the veteran lawmaker last quarter, federal records show.

Qasim Rashid, who twice ran for political office while living in Virginia a few years ago, reported receiving about $305,571 in total campaign receipts between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to a quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission last week.

Foster reported about $300,887 in total receipts for the same quarter. The congressman’s campaign had much more money saved than his rival’s at the end of the period, however, thanks to years of fundraising.

Foster ended the quarter with $1.3 million in the bank. Rashim ended with a bit more than $114K, but can only spend $85K because he accepted general election money.

* Almost nobody ever frames this as a revolving-door issue…

The Justice Department official who oversaw market-rigging cases against traders from global banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Deutsche Bank AG has left to join a private law firm.

Avi Perry, 40, joined Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as a partner co-chairing securities litigation as well as a new practice group focused on commodities and derivatives. […]

At Quinn, Perry will join his former Justice Department supervisor, Robert Zink, who now specializes in corporate and white-collar defense.

“Avi’s trial experience and his deep knowledge of financial markets are a perfect fit for the high stakes matters we specialize in,” William Burck, global co-managing partner of the firm, said in a statement.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* SJ-R | Lawmakers return to Springfield for six-day veto session: Lawmakers will return over the course of three weeks − divided by Halloween − meeting first between Oct. 24 and 26 and then from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9. Their tasks will be to address bills vetoed by Gov. JB Pritzker along with some outstanding and newly introduced legislation.

* Tribune | Measures to extend private school tax credit, lift nuclear plant moratorium top agenda of state legislature’s end-of-year session: During the spring legislative session, Pritzker had indicated support for allowing the construction of small modular nuclear reactors, which supporters contend would create well-paying jobs and aid in achieving the governor’s goal of reaching 100% carbon-free energy generation by midcentury. This new generation of small reactors can be at least partially fabricated in factories, potentially cutting down on the astronomical cost of building a traditional nuclear plant, such as the six already in Illinois.

*WGEM | Bill requiring public schools, state facilities to offer kosher and halal food options likely to come back during veto session: A bill passed during the regular session, but Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed it citing technical issues. […] Pritzker said Thursday he thinks the technical issues have been worked out with lawmakers. He’s hopeful a similar bill mandating halal and kosher menu options reaches his desk during veto session.

* BND | What happened in dispute between Reps. Mike Bost and Matt Gaetz? Here’s what we know: Politico reported that Bost hollered at Gaetz during the private meeting, after the Florida representative was roundly booed by others in the session. Politico’s report stated: “When Gaetz refused, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) stood up and hollered a command at him that one Republican recalled as: ‘If you don’t sit down, I’ll put you down.’”

* AP | Father of Illinois teen hostage freed by Hamas says she is ‘doing very good’: Knowing Natalie may be able to celebrate her 18th birthday next week at home with family and friends feels “wonderful. The best news,” her father said.

* WTTW | City Council Set to Scrutinize Johnson’s Plan to Reorganize Chicago Police Department: The mayor’s 2024 spending plan would increase the overall CPD budget to nearly $2 billion, accounting for more than 31% of the city’s $5.7 billion corporate fund, by far the most of any city agency or department. That is designed to insulate Johnson from a renewed deluge of attacks claiming he wants to defund the police, which threatened to derail his campaign for mayor, and serves to keep his spending plan on track to pass on Nov. 15.

* Illinois Answers | Illinois Doled Out Millions to Pot Growers. It Still May Not Be Enough to Save the Industry: More than four years after state lawmakers legalized recreational pot sales in what they held up as “the most equity-centric law in the nation,” only Helios Labs and nine other craft growers were actually operating as of mid-October. That’s due to a combination of fundraising obstacles: Banks are still federally prohibited from lending, and many social equity operators face endemic discrimination by the finance industry. The job is made even harder by a controversial state cap on growing canopy space that Jackson and other operators blame for repelling investors.

* Daily Herald | State accepting proposals for second round of Healing Illinois grants: The Illinois Department of Human Services recently launched the 2023-24 season of Healing Illinois, the state’s $4.5 million racial healing grant-making initiative.

* Tribune | Declining corporate travel and industry changes have left O’Hare airport slow to recover from the pandemic: The number of passengers passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at O’Hare during the first seven months of the year remained at about 86% of pre-pandemic volumes, Chicago Department of Aviation data shows. And airlines scheduled nearly 14% less passenger space on flights out of O’Hare in the past year than they did in 2019, according to data from aviation firm Cirium.

* Crain’s | The youth mental health crisis needs urgent care. What will it take?: “While this generation of kids may be much more open about mental health, there’s still stigma and some families, for example in Latinx and immigrant populations, that are still challenged” and reluctant to get care, says John Parkhurst, psychologist and coordinator of the MAACC program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. “When you think about it, it is pretty courageous of families to deal with mental health.”

* WBEZ | Chicago families left without a bus ride to CPS this year are demanding help: The percentage of special education students in the district has risen in recent years and some 1,700 more qualify for transportation this year than last, according to the district. About 150 special education students whose parents have recently requested transportation are currently awaiting routes. CPS says 8,100 students already have routes.

* Tribune | Ex-Chicago HSI agent gets more than 6 years in prison for widespread corruption: In asking for a sentence of up to eight years behind bars, prosecutors also accused Sabaini of using his government-issued phone to secure a prostitute while on official business in Israel and sending “racist, homophobic, and sexist text messages with other HSI agents, expressing his bias and contempt toward certain segments of the population that he was sworn to protect.”

* Daily Herald | Radon poses ‘big risk,’ at schools, experts say. But few follow testing recommendation: Despite recommendations that schools be tested for radon every five years, 85 out of 100 suburban school districts have not done so — and more than half of the 15 that did found elevated levels of the radioactive gas in at least one building.

* SJ-R | Springfield man sentenced to over a year in prison on COVID fraud charges: Phillip Lovelace Jr., 33, was sentenced to 20 months in prison Wednesday by federal Judge Sue E. Myerscough on wire fraud charges for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program funds for his own personal use and fraudulently applying for unemployment from the state of Arizona.

* Sun-Times | Illinois tollway might shift from transponders to window stickers: “The advantage that the sticker tags offer as opposed to a hard-case tag is that they’re tremendously less expensive,” said Mark Muriello, director of policy and government affairs for the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association.

* WSJ | The Economy Was Supposed to Slow by Now. Instead It’s Revving Up.: Earlier this year, economists and Federal Reserve officials predicted that the U.S. economy would be sputtering by now as higher interest rates cut into spending and investment. The opposite is happening.

* WCIA | Carle Foundation in Urbana announces daycare closure: Officials announced that Urbana’s Carle Foundation daycare, The Caring Place, will be closing at the end of December. The news came through a formal letter to parents. They were told the daycare would be closing. Carle Nurse Kaitlyn Kohler said she and her colleagues depend on the daycare to look after their children while they’re at work.

* Crain’s | U of C, U of I in the running for millions from feds for advanced tech and research: Research efforts led by the University of Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are in the running for federal grants of $40 million to $70 million each. A quantum-computing and communications project led by U of C’s Chicago Quantum Exchange called the Bloch, and a fermentation and agriculture-biomanufacturing effort led by U of I called iFab are among 31 regional tech hubs across the nation designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago tops list of most rat-infested cities for 9th consecutive year: According to the study, cities were ranked based on the number of new rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023, Orkin said., with both residential and commercial treatments included.

* WCIA | Two remain in critical condition 3 weeks after Teutopolis HAZMAT spill: The coroner said all seven are still receiving medical treatment for chemical burns to their eyes, lungs and respiratory systems. The crash is still under investigation by the Illinois State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board.

* WICS | Twisted Fork now open in historic space downtown: The kitchen operates Wednesday-Sunday from 4-10 p.m., and the bar remains open until 1 a.m. The couple’s concept, which owners Jered and Amanda Sandner describe as “upscale diner food,” was born after they won a mac and cheese competition at George Rank’s.

* CBS | Harry Porterfield, beloved former CBS 2 News anchor, dead at 95: His family confirmed that Harry died Monday morning of natural causes after a short illness, surrounded by his family in Munster, Indiana. Harry spent 51 years on television in Chicago, including nearly 30 years at CBS 2 before retiring in 2015.

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Pritzker stands with Arab Americans to denounce surging hatred

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times…

As Illinois continues to see an uptick in hate crimes in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday urged state residents to renounce hatred and to stand in solidarity with its Muslim and Jewish neighbors.

“Hate has no home here in Illinois. It’s a phrase I’ve used time and time again, but hate always has an insidious way of trying to move in if we let it. So we must stand together to reject,” Pritzker said, surrounded by members of the Arab American Bar Association at a Chicago press conference.

“We stand here united across religions, across ethnicities to renounce hatred. To show our Muslim and Jewish neighbors that we stand with them, and to chart a new course of solidarity, justice and humanity,” Pritzker said. […]

William Haddad, founding president of the Arab American Bar Association, detailed the many instances of discrimination and hate that members of the Arab-American community have experienced since the war began.

“I regret to say that the onslaught of hate crimes against Arab-Americans and Muslims is far exceeding what we saw in the aftermath of 9/11, far exceeding what we saw during the presidential primaries in 2016, when there were murders committed in North Carolina and in Texas,” Haddad said Monday. “We’re at a pace now that seems like were’ going in that direction.”

* Haddad referenced several instances of hate around the country, including these local instances. From CBS 2…

An Islamic day school in southwest suburban Bridgeview chose to close on Friday and switch to remote learning after receiving what its principal called a “threatening hate letter.”

Tammie Ismail, principal of the all-girls Aqsa School, wrote to parents that the school received the letter through the mail on Thursday. She said she immediately informed Bridgeview police, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Illinois State Police about the letter. […]

“The letter itself was very violent,” Ismail said, adding the person who wrote it referenced the hate crime and stabbing death of Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, in Plainfield Township.

The letter was “applauding his killing,” Ismail said, and called the man accused of the killing a “national treasure.” She said it was riddled with racist, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim language, and discussed killing Muslims and Palestinians.

* Also in Bridgeview…

Rehab called [the letter to the school] one of the worst letters he’s seen since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but it was not the only threat this week.

“There were several letters that were distributed to residents in Bridgeview that included hate mail letters, saying ‘all Muslims must leave Bridgeview.’ ‘Muslims must die.’ Very hateful letters,” said Milburn, the CAIR Chicago attorney.

Bridgeview police said they are investigating to learn where the threats came from. Meanwhile, Muslim residents had one message.

* And in Lombard…

A Lombard man is being charged with a hate crime after he allegedly threatened to shoot two Muslim men amid a verbal assault in the parking lot of an apartment complex earlier this week, authorities said.

Larry York, 46, is charged with two counts of hate crime, a Class 4 felony. […]

Police said that a short time later, as one of the victims was sitting on a bench outside the building, York lifted one end of the bench up, causing the man to fall on the ground at which time York allegedly told the men he called four of his friends to come shoot them.

York allegedly further threatened the men during the incident, shouting obscenities at them centering around their Muslim faith and at one point saying “this is America” while demanding that they get out of the country.

7 Comments

The rest of the story

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Center Square…

Critics of Illinois’ newly enacted SAFE-T Act argue Michael Perham stands as the symbol of a far bigger problem around the end of cash bail.

The 52-year-old Perham is now free on bond after being charged with fatally shooting his longtime girlfriend in their Troy home in September. Earlier this month, a Madison County Circuit Court judge denied a state petition to have him returned to custody on the first-degree charges. Perham’s attorneys insist he acted in self-defense.

State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, criticized the judge’s ruling and the Pretrial Fairness Act that ends cash bail. […]

“We made very clear that these are going to be problems when we have violent criminals able to just walk free,” Caulkins said. “This is a perfect example of what we talked about. It depends on the county, the state’s attorney and the judges, but we’ve certainly taken away one of the tools our judicial system uses to keep our streets safe. This is something the people that passed this law … are going to have to live with. I think Chicago and Cook County have suffered dramatically from this law.”

* And now for the rest of the story. The accused was already out on cash bail…

Michael S. Perham, 52, formerly of Troy and now of Wood River, remains free on $100,000 bond posted Sept. 8.

He has pleaded not guilty. He told authorities he shot Maha Tiimob in self defense. […]

In Perham’s defense, Koester said if the state considers Perham a threat to the community who should be detained, prosecutors could have requested that he not be allowed bail at all under Illinois’ system before the SAFE-T act.

“The state has quite the burden here,” Koester said. “They didn’t do anything to delay or prevent Mr. Perham from posting bond. The state chose not to do that in this case.

“He has been living his life in the community without issue,” she added, referring to Perham’s time free since posting bond. […]

Koester said after the couple argued and Tiimob “charged” at Perham, he first used pepper spray to defend himself. It was only when that didn’t deter her that he used a gun, the defense attorney said. […]

[The judge] did add more stipulations to Perham’s release, however, ordering that Perham have no contact of any kind with potential witnesses in the case, reminding him that he cannot possess or transport any firearms, and specifying that he must surrender his physical FOID card to Troy police by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Wait. They never took his FOID card?

6 Comments

Big migrant bus surge hasn’t happened… yet

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Twenty days ago…

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was told to prepare for up to 25 buses full of migrants each day as Chicago struggles to shelter and keep up with an influx of migrants being sent from Texas.

The governor said the warning came from Texas, which has been busing migrants to Chicago, a designated sanctuary city, for several months. Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights in Chicago, also reported similar guidance, noting that the buses could potentially bring in 1,250 migrants a day.

The 25 daily buses would mark a dramatic increase compared to the totals reported by Chicago so far, more than doubling the numbers arriving in a single day so far.

But, according to the city, just 39 buses brought asylum-seekers to Chicago in the seven days prior to October 13. That averages out to not quite 6 per day. In the seven days prior to October 20, just 28 buses carried asylum-seekers to Chicago, for an average of four per day. Fox 32 Sunday evening…

Since Friday, four more buses have arrived in the city.

Not to say there won’t be a surge soon. I don’t know. But it clearly hasn’t happened yet, according to the city’s documentation.

* Here’s some more data from the city…

New arrivals still in shelters as of October 13: 11,042
New arrivals still in shelters as of October 20: 11,278

New arrivals still at police stations as of October 13: 3,115
New arrivals still at police stations as of October 20: 3,014

New arrivals still at O’Hare Airport as of October 13: 449
New arrivals still at O’Hare Airport as of October 20: 660

New arrivals still at Midway Airport as of October 13: 3
New arrivals still at Midway Airport as of October 20: 10

Total exits from sheltering system as of October 13: 6,041 (+287 over previous week)
Total exits from sheltering system as of October 20: 6,523 (+482 over previous week)

The net weekly influx increase is due to the airports. As we’ve discussed, many of the O’Hare new arrivals are being flown there by San Antonio Catholic Charities, using federal money.

Also, the pace of exits from the system appears to have increased last week, but not nearly enough to make a significant dent. And while 172 leases were signed in the week of 10/1-7, that dropped to 122 in the week of 10/8-4.

Meanwhile, the city added one new shelter, Casa Esperanza, in the previous week. The shelter, in the 24th Ward, had 31 people as of Friday.

* Here’s a coverage roundup from Isabel…

* ABC Chicago | Why are migrants coming to Chicago? Newly arrived asylum seekers seek resettlement here: “Even though we might say Chicago is cold or it’s going to be hard to find, that’s not going to stop someone who now has the hope that there’s possible work,” said Deputy Mayor of Immigrant and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce de Leon. “It’s been helpful to hear that from the folks who are on the ground.” Every one of them has legal papers that they visibly hold close, but this is just the beginning of a complicated legal process, that even seasoned immigration lawyers in Chicago are still learning to try and help navigate. “Immigration can issue them a notice to appear in Chicago. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s been filed with the court order that he’s gotten to the court in Chicago or that the court system in Chicago recognizes them. So they’re given this address, and there’s lots of different addresses in Chicago that people are given. And they’re coming to Chicago with hopes of entering the system, however the system is quite backed up,” said Ellen Miller, pro bono manager for National Immigrant Justice Center.

* WNIJ | Advocate hopes state grant will give housing relief to some asylum seekers already in Elgin: The city of Elgin received a 1.27 million dollar state grant to support asylum seekers. The biggest portion will assist asylum seekers with housing needs, just as the temperatures begin to drop. Centro de Información is expected to administer the rental and utility assistance program. … “Let me tell you, when I told our caseworkers that, to start putting a priority list together, because this funding was approved for the city of Elgin, they started crying,” Ortega-Ehreth said. Rental assistance programs for asylum seekers were previously limited to those who were staying at shelters in Chicago.

* Block Club Chicago | Chicago Needs 18,000 Coats For Migrants. Here’s How You Can Help: One Warm Coat is working with nonprofits around Chicago — including Cradles to Crayons, Chicago Lights and Erie Health — to collect the outerwear by the end of October. Beth Amodio, the organization’s president and CEO, said the group needs coats in every size from infant to men’s 4XL. Coats should be clean and new or gently worn, and they should not have stains, holes or broken zippers, according to the group’s website.

* The Guardian | More than 14,000 asylum seekers were sent to San Diego. Local support systems were overwhelmed: Pinheiro and other organization leaders are highlighting the role of immigration authorities in creating the bottleneck at these transit centers. They say CBP is transferring migrants from Texas and Arizona to be processed in San Diego, and that border patrol has in recent months detained hundreds of migrants in the open air, exposed to the temperature variations of the desert and without sustained shelter or services, in a kind of no man’s land between the two walls that comprise the border with Mexico.

* STL Today | St. Louis looks to resettle Latino immigrants now in Chicago: The St. Louis effort is focused on attracting people who came to the United States legally under the “humanitarian parole” program begun last year by the Biden administration. The program is limited to people from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti.

* KOMO | Tukwila church stretched thin with migrant influx despite state of emergency declaration: TUKWILA, Wash. — A church in Tukwila continues to see an increase in migrants showing up to their doors steps looking for shelter. The pastor at Riverton Park United Methodist church said these families are seeking asylum, but with the influx of people showing up their resources are being stretched thin.

* Reuters | US releases asylum seekers on the streets. Some suburbs bear the burden: Twice a day, Customs and Border Protection vans or buses drop off asylum seekers at the transit center in Oceanside, a city of 172,000 about 50 miles (80 km) north of the border, say humanitarian organizations and volunteers who welcome the migrants and help them reach destinations elsewhere in the U.S.

* The City: New York Migrant Parents Work, Save and Worry as Shelter Eviction Looms: The notices to leave within 60 days will doubtless have a dramatic impact on the roughly 15,000 adults and children making up 4,000 families who will be receiving them. The first of those notices will come due just after Christmas, potentially forcing families to move midway through the school year. Many students already missed months or even years of schooling before their arduous journey to New York City, and have just begun acclimating to their schools.

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Dem legislative leaders say no discussions have been held with caucuses and no decisions have been made on Middle East resolutions

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As you’ll see below, while maybe one or two members heard somebody say this, it hasn’t been formally communicated to or even discussed with members…

State lawmakers aren’t expected to vote on any resolutions related to the Middle East during the veto session that starts this week.

Taking a position: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, both Democrats, are taking the view that state lawmakers should focus on state issues — not what’s happening in another part of the world. Critics, of course, say silence speaks louder than words.

Behind the scenes: Welch and Harmon have privately indicated to lawmakers they won’t call any resolutions on the issue. They know that allowing a pro-Israel resolution to pop up would prompt a pro-Palestinian resolution to follow, and vice versa, which could create party chaos as Democrats are split on the issue.

The logic: Harmon and Welch want to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Chicago City Council earlier this month that saw rowdy members of the public kicked out of the chambers and aldermen leaving the building in order to avoid going on the record on a resolution supporting Israel.

Not to be deterred: Republican Rep. Brad Halbrook and Senate Minority Leader Tony McCombie have offered up resolutions condemning the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel. But with Democrats in charge, those measures aren’t likely to see the light of day.

It might make sense to stay out of it, but it does seem likely that it will be discussed in caucus and leadership meetings this week.

From Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll…

This is not something we have discussed with our caucus, and none of our members have filed any resolutions on this topic.

From Senate President Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson…

No decisions have been made. No discussions have occurred with the caucus. And to our knowledge, no such resolutions have been filed in the Senate.

* Things are definitely heating up out there. Here’s ABC 7…

The Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois will hold a press conference Monday morning to share their deep concern for what they said is a significant rise in anti-Arab, Islamaphobic and Anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Governor JB Pritzker is expected to attend along with a number of other officials.

The press conference is taking place after dueling rallies Sunday in Skokie ended in reports of gunfire.

The event starts at 11 o’clock. Click here to watch it. We’ll have more later.

* Sun-Times…

Two people were taken into police custody Sunday evening after one man allegedly fired a shot in the air near a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting an Israeli solidarity event in the northern suburbs and another man later maced the group, which included a Sun-Times reporter.

No one was injured by the gunshot. Another protester was struck in a hit and run, police said, but was also not seriously injured.

The melee unfolded outside an event called to show solidarity with Israel at Ateres Ayala, a banquet hall in Skokie near the border with Lincolnwood. The event was held by the Chicago-based Midwest Regional Office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. More than a dozen organizations took part, including the Mobile Museum of Tolerance, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish United Fund, the Jewish National Fund and others. About 1,000 people attended, organizers said.

A separate Jewish group had planned a “peace and prayer” rally in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in Federal Plaza in the Loop Sunday, but an organizer said it was canceled after the group was threatened. Pro-Palestinian groups had also planned a demonstration for Federal Plaza, but after the Jewish rally was canceled the groups decided to move the protest to Skokie when they learned about the Israeli solidarity event.

Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of U.S. Palestinian Community Network, said in a statement they moved the protest because the Jewish groups “must be confronted as the racist apologists for Israel that they are.”

Yeah, it’s getting bad. “Racist apologists.” Whew.

* More on the shooting. The Sun-Times has video of the shooting’s immediate aftermath. If you click here, though, it looks like there was some sort of scuffle over an Israeli flag (the Sun-Times reported that the shooter’s car was covered with Israeli flags). The person who appeared to “rescue” the flag ran away, then appeared to chase someone and then turned and ran at the pro-Palestinian demonstrators. He was quickly surrounded by the demonstrators, then pulled out the gun. The police then pulled their guns and he surrendered.

* Back to the Sun-Times…

After the shots fired incident, heated words were exchanged as people exiting the Israeli solidarity event confronted the pro-Palestinian protesters. One man, who had an Israeli flag draped over his shoulders, grabbed a Palestinian flag from a protester.

When the protester tried to grab the flag back, the man pulled out a can of mace and sprayed it into the crowd, hitting several protesters, a Chicago police officer providing backup at the scene and a Sun-Times reporter.

* If you have a moment, read this piece by Charlotte Clymer and let us know what you think.

27 Comments

A super-cringey blast from the past

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Center for Illinois Politics…

The tiny, yet formidable Barbara Flynn Currie shimmying across a stage in an electric blue feather boa. A bring-down-the house riff on Del Shannon’s “Runaway” the year Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley forced the closing of Meigs Field Airport. A still-poignant “Wizard of Oz” theme. And, yes, a lot of pinot grigio.

Want to reminisce more? Check out the 2007 Capitol Capers performance in full here.

At a time before a rancorous partisan divide gripped Illinois and the nation at large, and a pay-to-play corruption probe led to the downfall of some of the state’s biggest power players, a bipartisan women’s group was responsible for bringing Democrats and Republicans together through legislation, advocacy, and hearty laughs at their bi-annual Capitol Capers performance.

The Conference of Women Legislators was formed in 1979 to advance the interests of women at a time when just 27 of them were members of the General Assembly. By 2000, that number had increased to 45 women. Today, it stands at 73, slightly down from an all-time high of 78 during the 102nd General Assembly of 2021-22, records show.

* We clipped one of the skits, a super-cringey ode to ComEd. Woof…

Sung to the tune of “You Light Up My Life”…

Rolling in dough
Pleasing shareholders
The ICC, they went right along
Finally a chance to say ‘Hey, an auction’
Never again will prices be low.

And you jacked up my rates
You give me fees to add on
You made me pay more
To keep me cool
Or warm

5 Comments

With attack on Pritzker, unions give Dem legislators a preview of what could be in store for them

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’ve discussed this topic before, but here’s my weekly syndicated newspaper column…

With his latest comments Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has taken almost every possible position imaginable on the Invest in Kids Act.

During his first run for governor, Pritzker agreed with the teachers’ unions and progressive activists by calling the program “a really bad idea,” and said he opposed keeping the law on the books.

The program provides $75 million in income tax credits for those who donate to organizations that then provide scholarship money for private and parochial school students. “What I oppose is taking money out of the public schools, and that’s what happened here,” he said, a promise Pritzker would have to break in 2020.

Once elected, Pritzker “agreed” to fund the program if the General Assembly did what state law required and put an additional $350 million into the “evidence-based” education funding program, which was gonna happen anyway.

In 2020, Pritzker ditched the annual $350 million evidence-based increase because of pandemic budgetary pressures, but the Invest in Kids Act was left intact. Campaign promise broken.

In 2021, Pritzker floated the idea of reducing the 75 percent income tax credit for donations to 40 percent. But he ultimately did not stop legislators from continuing it as-is.

In 2022, the governor signed a bill that tweaked the tax credit law to, among other things, make sure families who had kids receiving the scholarships were put first in line each year for new scholarships.

During the 2022 campaign, Pritzker told the Chicago Sun-Times he supported continuing the program: “With assurance from the advocates for Invest in Kids that they will support increased public school funding, my budgets have ultimately included the relatively small Invest in Kids Scholarship Program.”

The tax credit is set to expire at the end of this calendar year. The General Assembly took no action to extend the sunset during the 2023 spring session. And the governor has taken three different public positions since early June.

Shortly after the legislature adjourned in May, Gov. Pritzker told reporters he’d like to see a change in the way the tax credits worked.

“I think we should have tax credits that support education,” Pritzker said, “But we also have the federal government willing to cover about 40 percent of the cost.” The state tax credit law as currently written doesn’t allow for federal tax deductions, so he wanted the law changed.

In July, Pritzker flipped from calling Invest in Kids a “relatively small” program during the 2022 campaign to saying, “People who say, ‘Well, actually it’s not costing taxpayers anything,’ actually, it’s costing taxpayers 75 percent of the total amount that gets raised. And so that’s something that I think some people who are budget conscious are paying attention to as well.” But, he said, “I’m willing to work with the program if it gets extended or to figure out how we would wind down the program if it doesn’t get extended.”

With the veto session fast approaching in late October and new draft legislation circulating about scaling back the program’s cost to $50 million from $75 million, adding an allowance for federal tax breaks and increasing the number of eligible kids if they live in neighborhoods with significant poverty, Pritzker was asked Thursday where he currently stood.

“I will support it if it comes to my desk to extend the program in whatever form,” the governor said. “I mean, I can’t imagine it would show up in some form, that, you know, that I would be unwilling to. But, again, the reality is that the legislature needs to go through this process, and I have said that from the very beginning.”

The leaders of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association have mostly stayed quiet while Pritzker flipped all over the place. Not after that vow, though. The teachers’ union presidents issued a joint statement the following morning: “Governor Pritzker has chosen to side with anti-public education Republican governors in other states with his support of vouchers, going against the values of the Democratic Party, which clearly stands opposed to vouchers.”

Recent statewide polls conducted for proponents have shown strong support for the tax credit-based scholarships. But few people actually believe that the tax credit program will be approved during veto session. So, this Pritzker statement could be considered a relatively safe political punt to the General Assembly that was too late to change many minds.

More importantly, Democratic legislators now have a preview of what the unions will say about them if they do vote to keep the program alive.

By the way, that tweet we talked about last week from an IFT official claiming that Pritzker had aligned himself with “right-wing Republicans like Abbott and Desantis” has since been deleted.

* On a related note, from the Tribune’s coverage…

“Our public dollars should support public schools in Illinois,” said state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat who cited those factors as among the reasons he does not back an extension for the program. “Until our public schools are adequately funded across the state, we just don’t have the resources to be dedicating money to supporting private schools.”

Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat who’s the only openly gay member of the House, put it more bluntly in a news release Wednesday: “At its core, Invest in Kids exists to send state funds to schools that wouldn’t hire me as a lesbian, that teach that our family isn’t real and that I am an abomination. There’s not enough makeup to cover up that reality.” […]

Pritzker said Thursday that if lawmakers send him a bill, he’d agree to extend the program. But with his comments, Pritzker essentially absolved himself of responsibility if the program ends.

“The governor has already put the General Assembly on notice that ‘it’s up to you guys,’“ said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat. “Man, that was something for the governor to do that to us.”

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The CCS Opportunity In Illinois

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Carbon capture and storage, or “CCS,” is a technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at their source and stores them deep underground. CCS is a proven and safe process and the Illinois State Geologic Survey has confirmed that our state’s geology is perfectly suited for this technology. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) enforces federal requirements to regulate the safety of the pipelines that will support CCS.

In addition to delivering a cleaner environment, CCS will generate $3.3 billion in value for the region and could spur 14,440 jobs. Now is the time to bring carbon capture technology and its environmental and economic benefits to Illinois. Policymakers must pass legislation to advance CCS and bring this opportunity to Illinois.

Learn more about the CCS opportunity in Illinois.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* How’s everyone feeling this Monday morning?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: The Chicago Police face allegations of excessive force, improper searches and extremist ties, a Sun-Times and WBEZ investigation showed…

- Many of the cops on the Oath Keepers’ rolls worked in the Special Operations Section, which was disbanded amid revelations that some members committed robberies and plotted to murder a colleague.

- The CPD are opening a new investigation after questions from WBEZ and the Sun-Times.

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: How we investigated cops with ties to the Oath Keepers
∙ WBEZ: Who are the Oath Keepers?
∙ Sun-Times: Chicago Police Department tolerates officers with extremist ties

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WGLT | Judge plans to dismiss landmark Illinois prison mental health lawsuit: A federal judge has signaled his intent to dismiss a massive civil rights lawsuit pending since 2007 against the Illinois Department of Corrections seeking significant improvements in mental health care for more than 12,000 inmates. In a preliminary ruling issued last week during a telephone conference with attorneys for the state and inmates, U.S. District Judge for Central Illinois Michael Mihm said he plans to dismiss the lawsuit, finding that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear unresolved claims in the lawsuit.

* Daily Herald | Democratic challenger outraised Rep. Foster in third quarter — but can he win?: Foster reported about $300,887 in total receipts for the same quarter. The congressman’s campaign had much more money saved than his rival’s at the end of the period, however, thanks to years of fundraising.

* Center for Illinois Politics | Leadership, leverage and laughter: A look at the history and legacy of COWL: The tiny, yet formidable Barbara Flynn Currie shimmying across a stage in an electric blue feather boa. A bring-down-the house riff on Del Shannon’s “Runaway” the year Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley forced the closing of Meigs Field Airport. A still-poignant “Wizard of Oz” theme. And, yes, a lot of pinot grigio. Want to reminisce more? Check out the 2007 Capitol Capers performance in full here.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* State Week | Governor leaves the door open to extending private school tax credits: At an appearance Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked where he stands on the voucher program known as Invest In Kids. Pritzker angered teachers unions when he said he would support it if lawmakers send legislation to his desk. The program, which began under former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, provides a tax credit to help students attend private or parochial schools. While supporters say it gives parents more choice in their kids’ education, opponents argue the program is anti-public education and fails to promote equality and inclusivity.

* Tribune | Volunteers help migrants in search for permanent housing as Chicago struggles to keep up: Todos Para Todos, which means “Everything for everyone,” rehoused nearly 300 migrants who had been living at the shelter since May, including 100 in the month before it closed. Most people live in apartments on the Southwest Side, where rent is more affordable. Few, like Davila, live in Pilsen or neighborhoods on the North Side.

* Crain’s | ‘Right to parent’ referendum effort targets schools, medicine over transgender care: Anti-abortion and parents’ rights activists are working to put the topic of abortion rights and transgender care on the Illinois ballot in 2024, albeit in a form with no legal teeth that critics call “meaningless.” A group aligned with Illinois Right to Life and former state Rep. Jeanne Ives is promoting “the right to parent” with a petition drive aimed at both medical providers and school counselors.

* ABC Chicago | Illinois lawmakers prepare to head back to Springfield for veto session, BGA breaks down agenda: Bryan Zarou, director of policy at the Better Government Association spoke with ABC7 about the items on the agenda. Lawmakers will address four bills, vetoed by Governor JB Pritzker, and review any laws passed before they take effect next year.

* WGEM | Bill requiring public schools, state facilities to offer kosher and halal food options likely to come back during veto session: The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said it’s important kids don’t have to choose between their religion and not going hungry. “Not being able to have the culturally-appropriate meals is a challenge, and the last thing that anyone wants is a student that is not having a meal,” Villivalam said. “We know that that impacts their ability to learn and be educated and be health and safe and so much more.”

* WAND | Nuclear reactor bill, Invest in Kids extension could be discussed during veto session: Another hot topic will be the state’s scholarship program helping low-income families send their kids to private schools. The controversial Invest in Kids tax credit program is set to expire on New Year’s Eve unless lawmakers pass a plan soon. Democratic lawmakers have been silent about the issue since session ended this spring while Republicans and many Catholic leaders are worried about the program coming to an end.

* Windy City Times | MWRD Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis honors former Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris at breakfast reception: “Greg is a champion of justice,” said Brady-Davis. “Someone who has never given up fighting for the people of Illinois. Greg wasn’t just any state representative. As the first openly gay house leader and openly person with HIV, he challenged norms and confronted prejudice head on. His heart fights for the marginalized, especially in his fervent work within the LGBTQ community during the disheartening AIDS epidemic. As the AIDS crisis ravaged the community, Greg served his community by serving meals and served as a lifeline to those who were ostracized.”

* Politico | Republican-bused migrants throw a wrench into Democrats’ convention planning : Now, however, the topic is coming up in meetings about convention planning, according to two people familiar with the matter. The mayor’s office is in the process of identifying occasions to build tent camps to accommodate the influx. The goal is to get the new arrivals off the floors of police stations and other public spaces before winter comes.

* Sun-Times | Unions push to represent more workers, but organized labor’s share of jobs is declining: Workers sense that trends are at their backs, said Pasquale Gianni, an attorney for the Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents about 100,000 people across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. For one thing there’s an economy with low unemployment — 3.8% nationally and 4.1% in Illinois — and about 1.5 job openings for every available worker, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

* Sun-Times | Shot fired, crowd maced at pro-Palestinian protest outside Israeli solidarity event in Skokie: Two people were taken into police custody Sunday evening after one man allegedly fired a shot in the air near a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting an Israeli solidarity event in the northern suburbs and another man later maced the group, which included a Sun-Times reporter.

* Sun-Times | Son of Chicagoans, Hersh Goldberg-Polin among five Hamas hostages with Illinois ties: Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told the Sun-Times that of the 12 U.S. citizens captured by Hamas, five have Illinois connections including Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Natalie and Judith Raanan, the Evanston daughter and mother, were released by Hamas on Friday.

* Rockford Register Star | Winnebago County agrees to pay Rockford family $3.3M over fatal crash: The Rev. Maurice West, a friend who went to the scene of the crash to comfort family members, said police have a responsibility to not only keep the public safe, but ensure their safety while enforcing the law. West has long felt that Lambert’s death was difficult to swallow because it followed a police chase of a suspect for what started as a minor traffic infraction.

* Tribune | Low-income Metra riders could see fares slashed, as pilot program that cut fares in south Cook County ends: The south Cook program was proposed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle as an “equity investment” intended to help ensure South Side and south suburban residents had better access to transit. The plan initially was to bring the CTA in to provide free transfers with a Ventra card, but it drew opposition from then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who worried about the effects reduced Metra fares could have on ridership on the cheaper, city-based transit agency. The CTA never signed on.

* NYT | Ozempic and Wegovy Don’t Cost What You Think They Do: How can the nation afford lifelong treatments for so many people, with sticker prices for each patient ranging from about $900 to $1,300 every four weeks? Some researchers, like Dr. Walter C. Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have warned that the drugs could add 50 percent to the country’s health care spending.

* Daily Herald | Nuclear power in Illinois: Behind the scenes at Byron Generating Station: The facility is tightly run. Federal background checks are necessary, security checkpoints are common, radiation monitors are required and visitors are never left alone. A minimum of five people operate the control room 24/7. It takes at least two years of training to step foot in the control room as an operator, and operators must take a full week of additional training every five to six weeks.

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Live coverage

Monday, Oct 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in… (Updated)

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The late, great Chicagoan Ramsey Lewis…

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Afternoon roundup

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve been telling subscribers about this. Nursing homes put a property tax break into an omnibus bill, the governor vetoed the provision and they’re now trying to override him during the veto session…

A trade group representing nursing-home operators says, with costs rising fast, the industry deserves the tax break. In an apparent effort to underline its point, the Health Care Council of Illinois PAC has donated to the political war chests of dozens of state lawmakers since mid-summer, with $100,000 going to a fund operated by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.

Pritzker and allies counter that the tax shift is not warranted, especially since the nursing home industry won an estimated $700 million in higher state Medicaid payments last year. Pritzker’s amendatory veto means lawmakers will have to consider the matter again, with a simple majority of both houses needed to concur and a 60% margin needed to override him. […]

The bill would grant the relief by cutting the tax rate on nursing homes from 25% of their market value (today’s standard for all commercial property in Cook County) to the 10% figure used for single-family residences. The fact sheet asserts the impact on taxing bodies and other taxpayers would be minimal.

But Pritzker in his veto message disagreed, saying he has been hearing from worried municipal officials, especially in the south end of Cook County, where many businesses long have departed and nursing homes comprise a disproportionate share of the property-tax base.

The nursing home owners are telling members that southern Cook County is where they’re being hit the hardest. That area has horribly high property taxes because so many businesses have left. If the nursing homes do receive their tax cut, everyone else’s taxes will have to go up and more businesses could leave. If they don’t receive the cut, some nursing homes may close.

That region needs a Marshall Plan.

* Cook County State’s Attorney…

One month into the implementation of the groundbreaking Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA), the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) takes a moment to reflect on the progress and challenges of this transformative legislation. As the pioneering state to eliminate cash bail for pretrial release, Illinois is leading the charge in championing a more just and equitable criminal justice system.

Key Updates from the First Month:

• A total of 649 detention hearings were requested, with detention being granted in 60% of the cases.
• Only in two cases was the detention request withdrawn.
• Domestic battery cases emerged prominently, with 216 detention hearings requested. Given that domestic battery is often classified as a misdemeanor, its detention grant rate stood at only 39%.
• Unlawful Use of a Weapon followed, with 105 detention hearings requested and a 64% grant rate.
• Cases involving Murder, Vehicular Hijacking, and Attempted Murder boasted the highest rates of detention requests granted at 93%, 94%, and 89% respectively.

Impact on Jail Populations:

• There has been a notable 12% reduction in the overall jail population, dwindling from 5,531 a year ago to the current 4,846.
• The count of those accused of non-violent crimes has reduced by 21%, shifting from 2,029 to 1,610.

These dwindling jail population figures, especially concerning non-violent crime, underscore the PFA’s targeted positive effects. The act aims to reduce people in jail for non-violent crimes by ensuring financial disparities do not dictate one’s ability to return to their life while awaiting trial.

* NORML…

Law enforcement officials made well over a quarter million arrests for marijuana-related violations in 2022, according to data compiled by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

According to the online database, which was updated on Monday with data for the year 2022, police made at least 227,108 arrests for marijuana violations last year. Of those, 92 percent were for possession only. This total is a slight uptick from 2021, when the FBI reported a total of 219,489 marijuana arrests.

However, these totals are underestimates because a significant percentage of law enforcement agencies still fail to report their data to the FBI. For the year 2022, 83 percent of agencies — representing 75 percent of the total US population — reported their data, up from only 63 percent of agencies in 2021. Therefore, it is unclear whether the year-to-year uptick in reported marijuana possession arrests is due to changes in police tactics or due to more agencies reporting, or both. (Adding to this confusion, in some instances, the raw data provided by the agency in its downloaded zip files is inconsistent with the data published elsewhere on the website.)

The FBI reports that 4,633 cannabis arrests were made in Illinois during 2022. Next door in Indiana, the number was 7,236, even though it’s about half our population. 8,863 cannabis arrests were made in Missouri that year, and Missouri is even smaller than Indiana. In case you’re wondering, the Chicago Police Department reported just 4 cannabis arrests in 2022, according to the FBI. Not sure what to make of that.

* On to mental health funding…

The Will County Board Thursday approved a $10 million tax levy to fund mental health services after voters approved creating a Community Mental Health Board in last November’s election.

County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat, cast the tiebreaking vote after 11 Democrats voted in favor of the levy and 11 Republicans opposed it. […]

Last year, nearly 53% of county voters supported the referendum to create the board that will help coordinate services dealing with mental health issues, intellectual and developmental disabilities and substance abuse problems. […]

In the referendum, voters allowed the maximum levy that could be assessed as 0.05% per equalized assessed value. The rate approved Thursday was less than that at 0.0362%. […]

“Money is not going to solve this,” [board member Julie Berkowicz, a Republican from Naperville] said. “Raising taxes is not going to solve this. By raising taxes, we are creating more people who are struggling.”

Every time there’s a mass shooting, people demand more focus on mental health, which in the real world requires more funding. The people of Will County voted for more funding, but then half the board decided it was too much, even though the rate is lower than what was approved, and at least one opponent claimed more money won’t solve anything. *Hard sigh*

* Nothing posted by Rep. Miller (R-No Relation) since the GOP caucus withdrew Jordan’s nomination after he went down in flames on the floor for the third straight time…

I look forward to voting for Jim Jordan for Speaker today! pic.twitter.com/uM6UcDlBHV

— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) October 20, 2023

From within the GOP caucus…

Tally:
86 yay
112 nay
5 present

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 20, 2023

Stuff like this certainly didn’t help…

IN THE MEETING yesterday between JIM JORDAN and hold outs, close Jordan ally WARREN DAVIDSON said it's not Team Jordan's fault that holdouts are getting death threats. They are getting the death threats, he said, because they voted against Jordan.

This was relayed to me from…

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 20, 2023

* Good news…

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of both the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, celebrated the release of two Illinois hostages, Natalie and Judith Raanan, who were taken by Hamas terrorists during their coordinated and inhumane attacks in Israel last weekend and who have been held in Gaza since while calling for the release of and access to immediate medical care for those still in captivity:

“The release of two Illinoisans, Judith and Natalie Raanan, who’ve been held hostage by Hamas since last weekend’s awful terrorist attacks in Israel is an undeniable relief—not only for those of us who’ve been working for their release but for their family, friends and all their loved ones who can breathe a little easier today.

“This is—and should be—a day of celebration for them, but I know there are still so many families going through the unimaginable anguish of worrying about the fate of their loved ones still being held hostage and my heart goes out to them today too.

“I, along with our entire government, remain hard at work doing everything I can to ensure the Americans—and anyone—still in Hamas captivity can return home safely. Hamas owes these families the swift release of all hostages, and they must immediately allow life-saving medical care to reach those still in their custody as we work to secure their safe release.”

* Isabel’s roundup…

* SJ-R | Ten days after withdrawing from ICC, Navigator cancels CO2 pipeline: Navigator said at the time that it had planned to refile with a new route, but those plans appear to be thwarted. “As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project,” Matt Vining, CEO of Navigator CO2 said in a statement. “We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”

* Bloomberg | BlackRock-backed CO2 pipe plan scrapped: Summit Carbon Solutions, which seeks to build an even bigger carbon dioxide pipeline, was denied a permit by North Dakota in August and is asking officials to reconsider the decision. Summit Carbon, a unit of Summit Agriculture Group, said it aims to gain from Navigator’s departure.

* Tribune | Clocked in 12 hours a day, 7 days a week: How staffing bills for migrant shelters swelled with overtime: Invoices reviewed by the Tribune show that hundreds of Favorite Staffing workers logged 84-hour workweeks — with the overtime, paid at a 50% premium, helping balloon bills that topped at least $56 million. At a Woodlawn shelter in early February, for example, two-thirds of the 50 staffers logged working at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. At the Streeterville site one week in March, roughly 8 in 10 workers logged the same hours. … “A humanitarian crisis that requires 24/7 staff at multiple sites throughout the city unfortunately will result in staff working overtime,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a written response to questions.

* Daily Southtown | Calumet City administrators knew stormwater pumps were in ‘poor condition’ a year before massive flood, report shows: The 2022 report from Farnsworth Group, a private architecture and engineering firm working as the city’s engineering consultant since 2021, was sent to Deanne Jaffrey, the Calumet City chief of staff and city administrator. The document states the mayor’s office and Jay Embry from Public Works were copied on the report. Also involved in the analysis of the pumps was Metropolitan Pump manager Keith Girup. Superior Stormwater Basin and Pump Station, and Stateline (Shirley) Stormwater Basin and Pump Station were both in “poor condition,” according to the findings.

* Tribune | County executive awards demolition contract for former Will County Courthouse: The county has been preparing to demolish the four-story, Brutalist-style courthouse, 14 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, since 2019, but there has been a recent push by residents and county board members to preserve the building.

* Crain’s | Fraction of craft cannabis growers operational in Illinois, despite dedicated fund: The Illinois Cannabis Business Development Fund has handed out roughly $21 million to social equity entrepreneurs who were given the craft grow permits, the Illinois Answers Project reported. That’s out of $34 million that was intended to be devoted to the program.

* Pioneer Press | Pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupy U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Skokie office; police cite seven for trespassing: Schakowsky responded with a statement saying she led congressional colleagues in signing a letter to President Biden urging him to ensure that innocent civilians in Gaza are protected from violence and attacks and provided humanitarian assistance and safe passage.

* AP | Judge rules Alex Jones can’t use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying Sandy Hook families: The decision is another significant defeat for Jones in the wake of juries in Texas and Connecticut punishing him over spreading falsehoods about the nation’s deadliest school shooting. U.S. District Judge Christopher Lopez of Houston issued the ruling Thursday.

* Block Club | Decorated Senior Olympian Now Working To Mentor West Side Kids: Fresh off his wins in the Illinois Senior Olympics this summer, the East Garfield Park resident is now working to instill his love of physical fitness and friendly competition in West Side kids. […] His wins in the Senior Olympics coincides with his GOlympians Track Team group expanding its efforts to help Black West Siders discover opportunities for sports they may not have been previously given opportunities to play.

* Press Release | Homecoming flyover during national anthem features SIU alum: The Section Leader in command of the mission and Director of Operations for the 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron is a Saluki grad, Lieutenant Colonel Sean “Flash” Gordon. He was also the 2004 SIU Homecoming king.

13 Comments

It’s just a bill

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Let’s start with a veto session preview from Capitol News Illinois…

When lawmakers return to the Capitol next week for their annual fall veto session, they have a full agenda, including a handful of vetoes from Gov. JB Pritzker to consider overriding, in addition to deciding whether to revive a private school scholarship program.

But additional state spending is unlikely to be on their agenda, according to recent comments from both the governor and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. […]

Another issue likely to come up during veto session is a change to the state’s labor laws that would allow certain legislative staffers to unionize. […]

Domestic violence advocates and a group of Democratic lawmakers are reviving a proposal left on the cutting room floor when the spring session ended in May. The bill would clarify existing law that mandates guns be taken away from an alleged abuser after a judge grants a certain type of domestic violence order of protection against them.

The staff union bill has been posted for a hearing in Tuesday morning’s House Executive Committee hearing.

* Rep. Adam Niemerg introduced a bill in response to the 5 killed in Teutopolis after an ammonia truck was hit. From the synopsis of HB4182…

Creates the Construction Zone Safe Detour Act. Establishes that a company that provides GPS travel services in the State is required to ensure that at least one person is available to receive official requests 24 hours per day, 7 days per week from emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation for the purpose of implementing proper detours in the event of construction or emergency. Requires a GPS service provider to upload the detour and routing information provided by emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation into its navigation system to properly route users of the GPS service provider’s systems. Provides that a GPS service provider that fails to implement proper detour routing on an ongoing and emergency basis may be liable for treble damages. Allows an affirmative defense for GPS service providers if emergency services, including the Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police, fail to notify the GPS service provider with routing information. Prohibits the Department from conducting construction on a secondary route or parallel primary highway at the same time, except in an emergency. Requires the Department to reimburse local governments for damages caused to roads within the local government’s jurisdiction that arise from any detour around or near a construction zone authorized by the Department. Provides that the Department shall adopt emergency rules for the administration of the Act. Defines terms.

Here’s more on Rep. Niemerg’s bill from WAND…

The legislation was filed by State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) and State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Teutopolis).

“The I-70 corridor between Effingham and Terre Haute has been an unmitigated disaster this summer, due to poor planning at the state level, along with navigation services sending people down dangerous routes during closures,” Sen. Rose said. “Our goal is to make sure that major projects like this are planned in a safer manner, and that when roads do have to be closed, drivers are following the best and safest detour route possible.”

The bill establishes that a company that provides GPS travel services in the State is required to ensure that at least one person is available at all times to receive official requests from emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation for the purpose of implementing proper detours in the event of construction or emergency.

The bill requires a GPS service provider to upload the detour and routing information provided by emergency services, Illinois State Police, or the Department of Transportation into its navigation system to properly route users of the GPS service provider’s systems.

It prohibits the Illinois Department of Transportation from placing a parallel secondary transportation route under construction while a primary route is also under construction, except in cases of emergencies.

* More from Sen. Sue Rezin on her new nuclear power plant legislation….

During the General Assembly’s 2023 spring legislative session, I filed such a bill, Senate Bill 76. After robust negotiations, it received large bipartisan support in both chambers. This legislation was set to usher in the next phase in our state’s new energy generation era and spark economic growth and environmental stewardship opportunities. […]

While I support calling for an override vote and believe that vote would be successful if the Senate and House leaders allowed it, I have also filed a new bill to address the concerns of the Governor.

The reality is Illinois cannot continue to allow the outdated moratorium to remain in place while other states throughout the nation are aggressively embracing advanced nuclear power technology. If Illinois does not adapt to the modern energy era, we will lose any nuclear advantage we currently enjoy.

The embrace of advanced nuclear technology by either overriding the veto of Senate Bill 76 or the passage of Senate Bill 2591 during the upcoming veto session will showcase Illinois’ commitment to the nuclear industry, preservation of the environment, and safeguarding local economies for generations to come.

In cases of road closures, GPS and navigation service providers will have to use detours provided by IDOT and ISP to make sure the safest detour routes are being sent to drivers in real time.

* Rep. Brad Halbrook filed HR449…

Condemns the attacks on the State of Israel and its people and strongly implores the government of Israel to bring the terrorist organization, Hamas, to an end. Reaffirms Illinois’ support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel. Recognizes Israel’s right to act decisively and unilaterally in self-defense to protect its citizens. Expresses Illinois’ support for Israel’s right to pursue without interference or condemnation the elimination of Hamas until Hamas is permanently neutralized and public safety is assured. Conveys Illinois’ most heartfelt condolences to all Israeli victims as well as their families and communities. Calls upon Illinois law enforcement to remain vigilant in protecting Israeli Americans, Jewish Americans, and all supporters of Israel from acts of crime and unlawful discrimination that tend to manifest at such times. Encourages all other American states to likewise condemn Hamas as well as any official body that refuses to recognize Israel’s right to act decisively in self-defense to protect its citizens. Calls upon the United States to provide assistance to support Israel in its defense against Hamas and all other terrorist organizations that threaten its sovereignty.

* Center Square…

As issues continue at state-run mental health facilities across Illinois, legislators are again calling for change. […]

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, filed three measures as part of his “Help Protect Us and Improve Our Home” initiative, which he hopes to discuss during the fall veto session.

“I hope we discuss some of these issues during veto. I just started drafting a bill yesterday on trying to do a pilot program with the workers,” Meier told The Center Square. “I think some Dems maybe will like it.” […]

Other changes suggested in the measures include a mass hiring of qualified staff, an increase in administrative and security inspections, and an improved effort to remind employees if they see something is wrong, report it.

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Brighton Park Neighborhood Council denounces violence at anti-migrant encampment protest

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Brighton Park Neighborhood Council…

This morning, 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez and her staff were verbally and physically assaulted upon arriving at the proposed migrant camp site on 38th and California to address protestors’ concerns. This is inexcusable behavior. Violence is never a solution.

We understand that the encampment development is not ideal for many reasons. The process has been unclear to the residents and families of Brighton Park who have called the neighborhood home for years. As a result, misinformation has spread across the ward, fueling anti-immigrant and racist remarks. We will not tolerate hateful speech and racism against any immigrant in Chicago or Illinois.

Everyone has the right to seek asylum in the United States, and Brighton Park has historically been a welcoming neighborhood for immigrant families. It is our responsibility to welcome these new families into our city, support them as they recover from their journey, connect them to resources and services, and help them resettle.

* But if you head over to the Brighton Park Community Facebook group, you’ll see angry push-back and denials of any violence. You’ll also see this posted several times…

That’s a news aggregator. The headline is from the Daily Mail…

Chicago is giving $9,000 in rental assistance to migrants in need of temporary housing - after it paid a medical firm a staggering $7.2million for staffing shelters for just one week, according to official records.

The original story is from Fox 32…

Currently, the state is funding temporary housing, including rented apartments and homes for migrants. The state is providing up to $9,000 in rental assistance over a 6-month period, which includes assistance with moving in and a starter kit to furnish the apartment.

“That rent lasts for six months and ideally people would have started their legal process, secured legal work authorization and be able to sustain that apartment. And so the cost, or I guess the payment toward the landlord is based on market rate, it’s based on the configuration of the parament – how many rooms, where it’s located – all those things. And so it varies from place to place,” said Ald. Pacione-Zayas.

The number of asylum seekers currently utilizing the rental assistance is unclear.

The money is actually from the federal government. But many locals have convinced themselves that this is city money and they’re being shorted.

Bottom line, though, every dollar that goes to the asylum seekers is money that can’t be used for rental assistance for residents. The feds have got to step up.

* From the Tribune’s coverage of the protest…

At the protest, a group of people, many who live in the houses surrounding the lot, blocked the entrances to the lot, preventing trucks and other city workers from entering.

A protester posted a pic of people blocking the entrance yesterday…

* Many of the most confrontational protesters yesterday were Asian Americans. This statement is from nearby Ald. Nicole Lee, who is the first Chinese American to serve on the city council…

Peaceful protest is the backbone of our democracy, and everyone has the right to make their voice heard. But what my friend and colleague, Ald. Ramirez, and her staff member experienced today in the 12th Ward crossed the line into physical attacks and other actions designed to intimidate. That is unacceptable.

Everyone is entitled to make their concerns heard by City Hall as it determines where and how to place shelters. But the only way we move forward together as a city is through mutual respect and conversations so we can arrive at feasible and sustainable solutions. I am always open to these very conversations and committed to ensuring the concerns of constituents, and the broader Chinese community are heard and addressed.

We’re facing huge public safety challenges, and as we head into winter, we must stop using police stations as de facto migrant shelters. That necessarily means neighborhoods across the city must welcome these individuals into alternative options that are safe, clean, adequately staffed, and warm - for the good of our residents, our police officers, and the migrants themselves.

Now, more than ever, we must work together to navigate this humanitarian crisis in the best interest of our city, and its future.

The neighborhood is represented in the House by Rep. Theresa Mah, the first Asian American elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Rep. Mah echoed Ald. Lee’s remarks online, writing “I could not have said it better.”

* I asked Isabel to take a quick look at how other places are faring…

* WaPo | Biden wants help on migrants, but Mexico faces its own surge: President Biden is also leaning on Mexico to step up its enforcement. But this country is struggling with a migration crisis of its own, as historic numbers of asylum seekers cross its southern border. As many as 6,000 migrants a day have lined up outside government offices in southern Mexico — some seeking refuge in this country, but many others headed for the United States. That’s up to 10 times as many as in the spring.

* Reuters | US to open migrant processing center in Ecuador: The U.S. Department of State said the so-called “Safe Mobility Offices” are already operating in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala to expedite refugee processing and other humanitarian and employment permits. The Ecuador office will initially focus on Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan and Colombian asylum seekers in Ecuador, the State Department announced on its website.

* The Guardian | More than 14,000 asylum seekers were sent to San Diego. Local support systems were overwhelmed: “The community is here showing up, the government should also,” said Reyes-Perrariz. “We want to continue welcoming asylum seekers but we want to do it in a safe manner that’s sustainable.”

* ABC NY | Rockland County says landlords are packing migrant families into homes for profits: Officials in the town say profiteers are increasingly illegally converting single-family homes in neighborhoods and packing in renters. The conditions in some after often dangerous for the families, as well as first responders.

* ABC NY | Approximately 25 people found to be living in single-family home amid migrant crisis in New York: In March, five people died in a fire at a home in Spring Valley that had been illegally subdivided. In response, Rockland County conducted numerous inspections. “How does a first responder get in to rescue those people? And how do they get out? How does a landlord allow that to happen?”

* The Hill | Healey says Massachusetts cannot guarantee shelter for migrants, homeless after end of month: “We are not ending the right-to-shelter law,” Healey said in a press conference Monday. “We are being very clear, though, that we are not going to be able to guarantee placement for folks who are sent here after the end of this month.”

* CBS Boston | Arlington neighbors concerned after neo-Nazi group NSC-131 protests outside Gov. Healey’s home: Members of the group stood outside Healey’s home and chanted “New England is ours, the rest must go,” an apparent reference to the ongoing arrival of migrants in Massachusetts. Their presence drew a large police response and left the neighborhood unsettled.

* Axios | Denver will start vetting process for migrant service providers: Contracts will likely be presented to the council for consideration by the end of the year. The city has spent $28 million to provide services to more than 24,400 migrants who started arriving last December.

* NYT | What to Know About the Migrant Crisis in New York City: As of mid-October, more than 130,600 migrants had arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022. Officials have struggled to respond as people from all over the world have arrived, sometimes by the thousands each week. Many have sought shelter with the city, which has a legal obligation to give beds to anyone who asks. Last fall, the city’s homeless shelter population hit a record. It has only grown since then.

* WMTW | Portland prepares to open a new shelter just for asylum seekers: Maine’s Total Coverage received an exclusive tour of the old beverage warehouse being converted to a temporary emergency shelter able to house 180 people in two open dormitories – 110 for men and 70 for women.

* WMTW | Maine’s refugee, asylum-seeker population is growing rapidly, expected to double: In fiscal year 2022, which ended Sept. 30, 2022, 18 asylees and 113 refugees arrived in Maine. In fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, 2023, that jumped to 62 asylees and 419 refugees. The vast majority of them went to Portland, Lewiston, Scarborough and Auburn.

6 Comments

Villivalam, Olickal ask IEMA to release state funds to help groups protect against rising threats

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From HB1187…

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is authorized to make grants to not-for-profit organizations which are exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code for eligible security improvements that assist the organization in preventing, preparing for, or responding to threats, attacks, or acts of terrorism.

To be eligible for a grant under the program, the Agency must determine that the organization is at a high risk of being subject to threats, attacks, or acts of terrorism based on the organization’s profile, ideology, mission, or beliefs. Eligible security improvements shall include all eligible preparedness activities under the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, including, but not limited to, physical security upgrades, security training exercises, preparedness training exercises, contracting with security personnel, and any other security upgrades deemed eligible by the Director.

* Sen. Villivalam and Rep. Olickal sent this letter to IEMA…

Secretary Alicia Tate-Nadeau,

First, we would like to extend our appreciation to you, the members of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, for your leadership and dedication in keeping Illinois families safe every day, but especially in emergency situations.

Today, we are writing specifically with regard to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

We are honored to have voted for a $20 million appropriation for this IEMA-OHS grant program in the Fiscal Year ‘24 budget.

Additionally, with the collaboration of IEMA-OHS and a coalition of community organizations, we voted for, and Governor Pritzker signed, House Bill 1187. The legislation expands the eligibility of this IEMA-OHS grant program to include organizations that are at a high risk of being subject to prior or current threats, attacks, or acts of terrorism based on the organization’s profile, ideology, mission, or beliefs.

As the state senator and state representative for the districts that likely have the highest concentrations of Jewish and Muslim populations in the state, we have heard the pain, anxiety, frustration and concern for safety in the voices and writings of our constituents.

Many of the organizations that are eligible for this IEMA-OHS grant program, including houses of worship, are places of safe refuge for our constituents.

We have two requests that we feel will provide some of our constituents assistance, given the volatile situation in the Middle East and recent hate crime activity:

1. It is our understanding that organizations were awarded these grants from the FY23 budget. We request the funding release of these awarded grants as soon as possible.

2. It is our understanding that the grant process for this program under the FY24 appropriation has not commenced. Given the safety concerns outlined above, we request the timeline for this process be expedited.

Again, we are incredibly grateful for all of the work you do and for our partnership.

Sincerely,

State Senator Ram Villivalam
State Representative Kevin Olickal

…Adding… Alex Gough with the governor’s office…

Hi Rich,

Wanted to let you know that earlier this week applicants for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program were sent a communication about next steps. Director Tate-Nadeau also responded to Sen. Villivalam and Rep. Olickal yesterday thanking them and indicating this.

* Meanwhile, background is here if you need it. From the Tribune…

An employee of the Illinois comptroller’s office was fired Thursday after the office learned she had made antisemitic comments during an exchange on social media. […]

Postings on social media identify the employee as Sarah Chowdhury, who worked as a legal counsel for the comptroller’s office.

Reached by telephone, Chowdhury told the Tribune she was “extremely” sorry for the “inappropriate and reprehensible” comments, apologizing to the person with whom she had the heated exchange and anyone who read her comments.

She said she was distraught over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and grew frustrated by the way the conflict was being covered by the media and discussed through social media platforms.

Too late.

* Isabel did a related roundup…

The Hill | Illinois man accused of hate crime after allegedly threatening to shoot two Muslim men:

* AP | Illinois boy killed in alleged hate crime remembered as kind, playful as suspect appears in court: A 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who authorities allege was stabbed 26 times by his landlord in response to escalating right-wing rhetoric on the Israel-Hamas war was being remembered as a kind child, while multiple authorities investigate the attack that has become a symbol of larger struggles with hate crime in the U.S.

* Patch | IL Holocaust Museum Addresses Hate Crime Stabbing Of Wadea Al-Fayoume: “Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center mourns the death of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was murdered last weekend in Chicagoland,” museum officials said. “Wadea and his mother were targeted by their landlord just because of who they are. Their attacker was reportedly spurred on by the vicious language used across media to dehumanize Palestinians,” their statement continued.

* WIFR | Local mosque speaks out against hate crimes in Illinois: Imam of the Muslim Association of Greater Rockford, Dr. Mohamed Elgobashy explains he was terrified and sad to learn about the Plainfield tragedy, devastated that a child had to pay the price for something the child had nothing to do with. He says people cannot protect themselves from hate crimes alone, they need the help of political leaders.

* Journal and Topics | Illinois State Police Urge Vigilance, Awareness Against Violence, Hate Crimes: “Everyone in Illinois — both law enforcement and community members alike — must remain on guard against both terrorism and hate crimes during this period of volatility,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “If you see something, say something, before it’s too late.”

* NBC Chicago | Hate on the rise in Illinois, new report finds: Anti-Semitic incidents have risen dramatically in recent years. In 2022, the number of incidents increased by 128% from the previous year, rising from 53 to 121. There has been a 430% increase since 2016.

* NPR | 4 key takeaways from the FBI’s annual crime report: Last year, there were more than 11,000 reported hate crimes, which are motivated by certain aspects of a victim’s identity, including race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. Black people, Jewish people and gay men were the most likely to be targeted.

* The Hill | FBI crime statistics show anti-LGBTQ hate crimes on the rise: Hate crimes targeting LGBTQ people were up significantly compared to 2021, with 622 reported single-bias anti-LGBTQ hate crimes. Hate crimes motivated by an anti-transgender bias rose more than 35 percent year-over-year, reaching 338 incidents.

3 Comments

Today’s must-read

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is a really well-written piece…

What does Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city have to do with caring for the migrants now arriving in large numbers?
Nothing, I explain, except that made the city a🎯for former President Donald Trump & his more successful ally Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.https://t.co/tkDu5MVOb4

— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) October 20, 2023

* Key graf…

Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city does not require it to encourage immigrants to move to Chicago nor does the Welcoming City ordinance obligate officials to use taxpayer funds to care for immigrants in Chicago.

Go read the whole thing before commenting.

32 Comments

IFT official says Pritzker has aligned himself with ‘right-wing Republicans like Abbott and Desantis’

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that if lawmakers send him a bill, he’ll agree to extend a program that provides tax incentives for scholarships to children from low-to-moderate income families who want to attend private school.

But Pritzker stressed that it’s up to legislators, who head back to Springfield next week to begin their final session for the year, to come to an agreement on any extension of the “Invest in Kids” scholarship program.

“I will support it if it comes to my desk to extend the program in whatever form,” Pritzker said during a ribbon-cutting event for the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Living at the University of Illinois campus. “I mean, I can’t imagine it would show up in some form that I would be unwilling to. But again, the reality is that the legislature needs to go through this process.”

* Illinois Federation of Teachers’ director of communications…

You can’t align yourself with right-wing Republicans like Abbott and Desantis and still hold Democratic values.

Our joint statement below on Gov Pritzker’s support of vouchers. #saynotovouchers https://t.co/mLPaB73OPB

— ✊🏼Monica Trevino (@MonicaETrevino) October 20, 2023

…Adding… From Monica Trevino…

Hi Rich,

I have attached the 2020 party platform with the following language on page 67:

And Democrats oppose private school vouchers and other policies that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from the public school system, including the program at issue in the recent Espinoza decision.

The governor’s stance is a direct contradiction to the Democratic party.

Best,

Monica

Platform is here.

63 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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The CCS Opportunity In Illinois

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Learn more about the CCS opportunity in Illinois.

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

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* It’s Friday! What’s goin’ on with y’all?…

9 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Oct 20, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Ald. Julia Ramirez issued a statement after being swarmed during the Brighton Park protest. NBC Chicago…

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Ald. Julia Ramirez swarmed at protest over construction of migrant tent city in Brighton Park
∙ WTTW: Ald. Julia Ramirez, Aide Battered by Crowd of Protesters Outside Brighton Park Vacant Lot Set to be ‘Winterized Base Camp’ for Migrants
∙ Block Club: Alderwoman ‘Attacked’ At Protest Over Brighton Park Migrant Tent Camp

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | Illinois lawmakers banned campaign contributions from red-light camera companies but take them anyway: In May, the General Assembly passed a bill to ban campaign contributions from the red-light camera industry that’s been embroiled in a bribery scandal still unfolding in federal court. […] Less than six weeks later, the Oak Park Democrat’s campaign accounts accepted two contributions totaling $5,000 from Redspeed Illinois, a contractor operating red-light cameras in a number of Chicago-area municipalities.

* Capitol News Illinois | State to pause enrollment in health care program for immigrant seniors as spending again outpaces estimates: It’s an expected move that the administration announced in June to control the rising costs of a program that has proven more expensive than its initial estimates since it became law in 2020. While no new enrollees will be accepted for the time being, those already in the program will not see any changes to their current benefits.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’ll agree to extend a tax credit program for private school scholarships if legislators send him a proposal: “I will support it if it comes to my desk to extend the program in whatever form,” Pritzker said during a ribbon-cutting event for the Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Living at the University of Illinois campus. “I mean, I can’t imagine it would show up in some form that I would be unwilling to. But again, the reality is that the legislature needs to go through this process.”

* WMBD | One month in, No Cash Bail seems to be not as bad as some thought, officials say: “The past month has pretty much gone as expected,” said Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos, who, along with her colleagues around the state, helped to craft the rules regarding the elimination of cash bail. The veteran prosecutor also noted that for the most part, judges are seeing the “same types of cases that they did before. We just removed cash from the equation.”

* WAND | IL lawmakers could pass plan taking guns from domestic abusers facing orders of protection: “Right now, the order of protection process is failing too many survivors and their families,” Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) told WAND News. “It is critically important that we get this bill passed so that judges and law enforcement have clarity to go in there and get guns out of the home in these types of situations.”

* Tribune | Illinois comptroller’s office employee fired over antisemitic comments in online exchange: In some of the posts during the exchange, the employee called the other Instagram user a “ZIONIST PIG” and said “all Zionists will pay.” The employee also wrote that “Hitler should have eradicated all of you.”

* Shaw Local | Former Dixon Mayor Arellano running for state Senate: Li Arellano, who served eight years as Dixon’s mayor, has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the race for the 37th Illinois Senate District.
State Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, currently holds the seat.

* Crain’s | Johnson, city’s largest police union nearing contract deal with significant pay raises: The deal, the first major union agreement that would be completed in Johnson’s first term, ensures labor peace with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, which represents all Chicago Police Department officers below the rank of sergeant. It could serve as a commitment that the new mayor, a former union organizer, plans to settle the city’s outstanding contracts without major labor strife.

* Sun-Times | Man who wounded toddler in road rage shooting gets 4 years in plea deal: Deandre Binion, 27, initially faced nearly 20 felony charges — including attempted murder — in connection with the April 2021 shooting that wounded 22-month-old Kayden Swann in the head. But under an agreement reached with the state’s attorney’s office, all charges, except one count of aggravated discharge of a weapon, were dropped Oct. 13.

* Tribune | President Biden speaks to father of slain Will County 6-year-old following Oval Office address where he described the boy as a ‘proud American’: Biden invoked the child’s death and the serious wounding of his mother during the speech, in which he sought to explain the strategic need to combat terrorism in both Israel by Hamas and in Ukraine orchestrated by Russia.

* ABC Chicago | Bridgeview Islamic school moves to e-learning after ‘threatening hate letter’: It is closing Friday “out of extra caution” after being on soft lockdown earlier this week. In a message to parents, the principal wrote in part, “Rest assured that we have been doing everything in our power to maintain the safety and well-being of all of our students…and we will continue in those efforts.”

* SJ-R | ‘Something in me died following the abuse:’ Two alleging clergy abuse speak out publicly: Stack, speaking at a Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests press conference in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, railed against the Springfield Diocese and Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, saying they have to come to grips with the problem more “compassionately and pastorally” and with “a sense of basic human decency.”

* Sun-Times | Collision between deer and animal rescue van jeopardizes dozens of pets’ chance at rescue: The van is now unusable, with officials in the organization fearing it will need to be replaced. But the group had already arranged to make the several-hundred mile trip to Mississippi and Louisiana next week to rescue about 90 cats and dogs.

* Tribune | Metropolitan Brewing, one of Chicago’s oldest craft breweries, files for bankruptcy and may close this winter: Citing tepid retail sales, unsustainable debt and a yearslong rent dispute at its custom-designed taproom and brewery overlooking the Chicago River, Metropolitan Brewing has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Without reworking its debt, including more than $1 million owed in back rent and fees, the pioneering 15-year-old craft brewer said it will not survive the long Chicago winter ahead.