Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Nov 2, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Lawmakers release their third draft map for the Chicago elected school board. Chalkbeat…
- Two districts have no majority, but they have a plurality of white voters. - Some groups already are saying this new map does not do enough to ensure the board will represent the school district’s students. * Related stories… ∙ WBEZ: Latest Chicago elected school board voting map emerges ∙ WTTW: State Lawmakers Release Latest Chicago Elected School Board Map ∙ Tribune: State lawmakers propose new Chicago school board map days ahead of return to Springfield * Isabel’s top picks… * Capitol News Illinois | Scholarship tax credit program among issues still on the table with 3 legislative days remaining: At an unrelated event Wednesday, the governor’s tone toward the program was ambivalent when asked about it, saying it’s up to the General Assembly, and that “support for public education is really where my focus is.” “I’ve always said, you know, that we’re not trying to prevent people from going to private school, but I also believe in public education and want to make sure that we’re funding public education, to the extent that that is possible,” Pritzker said. * St Louis Post Dispatch | Darren Bailey, Mike Bost compete in southern Illinois ‘Trump primary’: Both Bailey and Bost have spent the better part of the campaign attempting to one-up each other on who has the deeper connection with the former president. They are each hoping that Trump will bestow upon them his coveted endorsement. It makes sense given that Trump carried the Southern Illinois-based district that includes parts of the Metro East with 70% of the vote in 2020. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WAND | Senate Republicans argue Pritzker should focus on Illinois problems instead of national politics: “Right now, here in Illinois, our constituents are hurting,” said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “The ship of state is sinking.”Rose told reporters Wednesday that he is fed up with the lack of transparency about issues within the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Employment Security and Department of Children and Family Services. He plans to file a resolution calling for an audit to investigate how an IEMA office assistant was paid $60,000 dollars per month. * ABC Chicago | West Town migrant shelter opening pushed back as unions protest construction work: A handful of union carpenters along with their picket line rat mascot stood in protest along Western Avenue Wednesday. They’re contesting who is carrying out the quick-turn construction at the industrial space that will house 200 asylum seekers, including families and young children. * Pioneer Press | Oak Park opens police station, undisclosed shelter to dozens of migrant families housed outdoors in tents as temperatures drop: As temperatures fell across Chicagoland this week and snow fell Tuesday, Oak Park officials announced that the village has helped over 100 migrants housed in camping-style tents outside a nearby Chicago police station to secure indoor shelter. * Block Club | River North Migrant Shelter Still Being Considered Despite Mayor’s Denials, Alderman Says: After alerting residents Monday about a potential “migrant hotel” in River North, which the Mayor’s Office denied, Ald. Brendan Reilly says it’s still happening — just a few doors down. Reilly blasted Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration in a Monday email to neighbors saying plans were underway to convert a River North hotel into a shelter for more than 1,000 migrants. * Crain’s | Civic Federation gives thumbs-up to Johnson’s first budget, with two warnings: At the same time, the group urged Johnson to develop long-term plans to fund the city’s pensions as the Illinois General Assembly considers legislation that could raise pension costs. The federation also recommended the city craft a contingency plan if it doesn’t receive additional funding from the state or federal government to assist with care for new arrivals. * WREX | Illinois Supreme Court doubles compensation for court-appointed attorneys: From the change, these attorneys will now receive $150 per hour – from its previous minimum of $75 per hour. Likewise, the hourly rate for time “reasonably expended out court” rises from a minimum of $50 to $150 per hour. * Sun-Times | Noise cameras would help ticket downtown drivers with loud mufflers under proposed city ordinance: Backers of the pilot hope to address the negative health effects associated with loud noises — high blood pressure, depression and even heart attacks. Critics of the proposal say the cameras will target people who can’t afford car repairs and motorcyclists — and are really a cash grab by politicians. * Sun-Times | Daughter of disgraced ex-Ald. Danny Solis resigns from Chicago Park District post: The daughter of disgraced former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis has resigned from a high-ranking post at the Chicago Park District, weeks after WBEZ revealed an internal investigation that accused her of violating the agency’s sexual harassment policy. Despite her father’s dramatic political downfall, Maya Solis had continued in her $126,072-a-year post as one of three region directors for the park district. * WICS | Illinois State Trooper’s car struck in 18th Scott’s Law-related accident this year: The trooper was handling a previous weather-related traffic crash when a 2003 Toyota Matrix, traveling southbound, failed to move over, striking the right side of the ISP squad car. The Trooper was outside of the squad car at the time of the crash and was uninjured. * Tribune | Illinois smartphone users sue Motorola Mobility to force arbitration over alleged selfie privacy violations: The arbitration action alleges Motorola violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by “surreptitiously” collecting personal data from users’ selfie photos without permission. Motorola sells Moto, Razr and Edge devices with “high-powered cameras” that use facial recognition and artificial intelligence to identify and store the selfie image, according to the complaint. * Tribune | An FBI mole at the 2016 Democratic National Convention: The origin story of the Ald. Edward Burke corruption probe: Among the Chicago heavyweights in attendance that week was Ald. Daniel Solis, a staunch Clinton supporter who told the Tribune the excitement of potentially having the first woman in U.S. history ever to be nominated for president was “a historical moment in the life of this country and in my life.” As it turned out, Clinton’s nomination wasn’t the only history going down in the City of Brotherly Love. Behind the scenes, one of the most significant public corruption cases in Chicago history was about to be born. * Block Club | City Council Blocks Plan To Regulate Little Free Libraries — For Now: The proposed legislation also stipulated only “organizations, not-for-profit entities and licensed businesses” would be eligible to receive the necessary permit to build a bookcase on city land. Libraries on private property, like a front yard, would not be impacted.
|
- Suburban Mom - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 7:56 am:
Getting very “no room at the inn” here as we roll into the Christmas season.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 7:59 am:
WAND.
“Payed?”
===He plans to file a resolution calling for an audit to investigate how an IEMA office assistant was payed $60,000 dollars per month.===
- JS Mill - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 8:34 am:
=Some groups already are saying this new map does not do enough to ensure the board will represent the school district’s students.=
Code for we want our ethnic groups to have more representation that yours. Because every sentient person knows the school board represents the entire community not just the students.
Student government represents only the students.
=“Right now, here in Illinois, our constituents are hurting,” said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “The ship of state is sinking.”=
I guess when things are going well some guys just have to make bad stuff up. Chapin needs to get out of government.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 8:43 am:
Here’s the thing, in full snippet;
===“Right now, here in Illinois, our constituents are hurting,” said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). “The ship of state is sinking.”Rose told reporters Wednesday that he is fed up with the lack of transparency about issues within the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Employment Security and Department of Children and Family Services. He plans to file a resolution calling for an audit to investigate how an IEMA office assistant was payed $60,000 dollars per month.===
Rose talks about Illinoisans hurting. Ok, that’s very true in two instances Rose wants as *his* want.
Manufacturing wins, low unemployment, actual budgets, rainy day funds…
(Note: It should be noted that Rose hurt Illinois’ most vulnerable for an entire General Assembly, cheering the no budget)
… the states GDP eclipsed one trillion (with a T)…
It’s disingenuous (even if it’s wholly warranted) to talk about the blocking and tackling of agency and agency work when Rose himself was quite comfortable ensuring Illinois had no budget for two years.
Is that all you have? I mean, I’m not making light or in disagreement, but this idea the state is hurting overall when in the past the things like oversight, funding, or accountability was ok to be stifled to hurt labor… and while ignoring the tangible good Rose seemingly wasn’t part of after the disaster of a budgetless state of Illinois.
I hope more can be gleaned and uncovered at both agencies.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 10:32 am:
What’s going on with Darren Bailey and all his fundraisers?Just last week Darren and Don Jr. held a founder in Effingham.
Another founder is scheduled for mid-November and then another in early December.
Tapping the same individuals and families again and again might not be an ideal strategy. Especially when Bailey discusses the price of fuel.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 10:34 am:
Pls excuse typo—-fundraiser
- Give Us Barabbas - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 10:35 am:
I’d love to have “noise cameras” in my neighborhood. I just don’t believe the cops would actually enforce anything.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 10:35 am:
===I just don’t believe the cops would actually enforce anything===
They wouldn’t. But there’s no need with the cams.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 10:42 am:
“The ship of state is sinking.”
Illinois is rising again. Multiple credit upgrades, manufacturing expanding, infrastructure being rebuilt, good budgets, etc. If this state was a sports team, the rebuilding process would be going well.
- Pundent - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 11:07 am:
“The ship of state is sinking.”
Makes you wonder what Chapin Rose’s utopian state looks like. Is he pining for the days of Rauner?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 11:10 am:
===Is he pining for the days of Rauner?===
Rose continually and consistently voted as Rauner required even if it hurt UIUC.
I’d start there when asking what Rose’s Utopia looks like in the overall.
- Benniefly2 - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:10 pm:
About those ‘noise cams’… Lets say you have 15 or 18 cars relatively close together on Dearborn and on car has a loud muffler. Exactly how does the ‘camera’ know which one has a loud muffler?
What if there are two or three cars in the pack of 12 to 15 cars that have mufflers a bit louder than normal for whatever reason, but wouldn’t individually qualify for a ticket but together trip a preset decibel level? How would the ‘camera’ know?
If they will have always on microphones on these cameras, what else will the city be listening or would be admissible in some sort of legal situation? Would the. City have to post signs everywhere saying that your. Conversations may be recorded if you talk outside on the street?
I understand what the problem is, but this isn’t the solution.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:23 pm:
=“The ship of state is sinking.”
Makes you wonder what Chapin Rose’s utopian state looks like. Is he pining for the days of Rauner?=
Up is down, night is day with these clowns. Utopia to brother Chapin is what most would call dystopian.
- Payback - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:27 pm:
“So, did we land the, uh, the tuna?” That’s a great Chicago line. Reminds me of (one) of the nicknames for Anthony Accardo, “The Big Tuna.”
“Behind the scenes, one of the most significant public corruption cases in Chicago history was about to be born.” This Trib quote should more accurately read: “one of the most significant public corruption cases in Chicago history was about to be born, necessitated because the local and state authorities in Illinois are incapable of doing their own dirty laundry without the feds.”
- DuPage - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:34 pm:
“Private, non-union workers”? What a stab in the back by the Johnson administration. Why and how were these contractors selected? It’s probably too late to change this one job, but this should not happen on the other projects being considered.
- Anyone Remember - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:41 pm:
” … necessitated because the local and state authorities in Illinois are incapable of doing their own dirty laundry without the feds.”
One of the first thing the feds did when investigating Blagojevich was … ask then-AG Lisa Madigan to stand down her investigation.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:46 pm:
===One of the first thing the feds did when investigating Blagojevich was … ask then-AG Lisa Madigan to stand down her investigation.===
The Feds are not only better at this, they are the proper authorities to it.
Those not understanding the dynamic…
It’s also like those that first don’t understand what the Illinois AG does, then complain why it’s not what they want it to be.
You know of corruption, call the Feds. They’re on Dearborn.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 12:58 pm:
===The Feds are not only better at this, they are the proper authorities to it.===
Meh. They took the easy way out and went with what they had on tape.
They could’ve made a far stronger case with Lisa’s probe.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 1:03 pm:
===They took the easy way out and went with what they had on tape.===
True, and Rod got (in some eyes, because for one lacking remorse, but I digress…) “over sentenced”, I just fall back to the statutory and constitutional role of the AG. Nothing more or less. It was a head scratcher that the Feds kinda went to a line with Rod when there was more open field already exposed.
It woulda been a more interesting turn had Rod faced some sort of state charges, however that played out.
- Interested observer - Thursday, Nov 2, 23 @ 1:47 pm:
https://southcooknews.com/stories/650304288-orland-park-police-state-rep-rita-accused-of-assaulting-orland-township-supervisor-o-grady