Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2023

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Press release…

The minimum wage in Illinois is increasing on January 1st, 2024.

Workers will see an increase of $1 per hour from $13 to $14. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $8.40 per hour and youth workers (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $12 per hour.

“Since day one as Governor, I’ve made it my mission to put Springfield back on the side of working families,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With this new minimum wage increase, we are once again making Illinois a more affordable and equitable place to live for all of our residents.”

“We’re continuing to not only strengthen our workforce but sustain it by increasing the minimum wage. Leadership matters and we’re proud to see our administration’s sixth increase go into effect on January 1,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “As we continue our work to make Illinois the best state to live, work and raise a family, this new increase brings us one step closer to a more equitable Illinois.”

This will be the sixth increase in the state’s minimum wage since 2019 when Governor JB Pritzker signed historic legislation establishing a schedule of increases culminating in a $15 per hour minimum wage in 2025.

* Rockford Register Star…

Nearly 250 people attended the at-time pointed debate, held during the Northern Illinois Council of Governments Legislative Luncheon at Cliffbreakers in Rockford. […]

Republican and Democrat participants were given the opportunity to sound off on a myriad of topics from state funding for infrastructure, the Invest in Kids Act, health care for migrants and job growth.

Republican participants were on the attack for most of the session while Democrats defend state policies.

Republicans advocated for a fair map for drawing Congressional and legislative districts in the Democratic controlled state. But Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford, said that reform is unlikely when states around the country have gerrymandered districts that favor Republicans.

* Tribune…

Jurors have begun their first full day of deliberations in the racketeering case of ex-Ald. Edward Burke, the longtime City Council powerhouse charged with abusing his substantial clout for his own personal gain.

The panel sent its first note to the judge Tuesday morning less than an hour after resuming its talks, asking for clarification about a count charging co-defendant Charles Cui with using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

The jury instructions reference Burke accepting property from Cui “that he was not authorized by law to accept” and accepting “a fee or reward which he knows is not authorized by law.” In their note, jurors asked for a definition of the phrase “not authorized by law.”

After lengthy arguments from prosecutors and Burke’s attorneys, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall ultimately sided with Cui’s lawyers, who asked her to tell jurors only that the answers are in the instructions they already received.

* ‘Tis the season…

I made a #FOIA request to @fbi for records indexed for the term "Santa Claus." FBI claims I did not provide enough info, and asked for Santa's DOB, addresses, employment, and information about any FBI investigations into #Santa. I'm not making this up. pic.twitter.com/bD3Msy3e3N

— Matt Topic (@mvtopic) December 19, 2023

* More…

* QCBJ | Illinois Chamber of Commerce deepens its legislative team: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce announced the addition of Keith Wheeler as senior legislative affairs advisor in a news release today, Dec. 19. He will join the chamber’s Government Affairs team effective Jan. 1, 2024. Mr. Wheeler is a business owner and former Illinois House of Representatives member who served the 50th District from 2015 to 2023.

* WTTW | United, American Airlines Push Back Against Rising Costs of O’Hare Airport Expansion: United and American airlines want to ground — or significantly scale back — the massive O’Hare International Airport redevelopment designs. The change comes after the airlines signed an agreement to foot much of the bill through increased gate fees. But now the airlines say the project is over budget, and pandemic-era losses put them at a disadvantage. Will the elaborate Jeanne Gang-designed Terminal 2 ever take flight?

* QC Times | Bureau of Prisons cuts retention bonuses at Thomson Prison: Staff at Thomson Prison learned Monday morning the Bureau of Prisons will no longer provide them a 25% retention bonuses after Dec. 31, 2023. Retention bonuses for Thomson staff, equivalent to about $16,000 annually, were approved in September 2021 after pressure from Illinois Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and then- U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, according to previous reporting.

* Crain’s | Plasma company settles Illinois AG lawsuit over donor discrimination: Plasma collection company CSL Plasma and its parent company CSL Behring have settled with the Illinois attorney general’s office, resolving a lawsuit alleging the company’s policies discriminate against people with disabilities, the AG’s office said in a press release Thursday.

* Block Club | Chicago Police Make An Arrest In Only 20 Percent Of Fatal Shootings: The Trace filed a Freedom of Information Act request with CPD and learned that police made arrests in 21 percent of fatal shootings between 2013 and mid-October this year. That number has remained almost the same over the past decade, dropping slightly from 19.4 percent in 2013 to 18.6 percent in 2022, which is significantly lower than the national average for overall homicide clearance rates. In 2022, the most recent year for which the FBI’s national data is available, about 45 percent of homicides across the country were cleared by arrest.

* The Beverly Review | Burke won’t seek return to Springfield: State Rep. Kelly Burke has decided not to seek re-election for the position she has held since 2011, a decision she made in the fall. “I still have a lot of enthusiasm; I love the job,” said Burke, who was also elected as mayor of Evergreen Park in 2021. “I had some health challenges during the year, and it made me think that it might be nature’s way of telling me it’s time to slow down a little bit.”

* Sun-Times | IHSA announces that high school football district proposal has failed: Illinois high schools voted against the implementation of a district system for football the Illinois High School Association announced on Tuesday. The new format would have divided the state’s football-playing schools into 64 eight-team districts, eight per class. Schools would have played seven district games in Weeks 3-9 and would have been able to schedule any opponent for non-district games in Weeks 1-2.

* The Bond Buyer | Citi’s exit carries costs for issuers, market liquidity, but industry expected to weather it: A tough year for Wall Street municipal underwriting firms culminated Thursday with Citigroup’s announcement it would exit the business, a stunning move that market participants warned would raise state and city financing costs and that Citi would come to regret as headwinds calm and business rebounds.

* Daily Herald | Ski resorts tackle unseasonable warmth: Bartlett’s Villa Olivia resort plans to open its hills to skiers on Friday, but on the outset of another warm winter, managers are already sensing a trend becoming familiar in the Midwest’s ski industry. The Chicago area had an unusually warm winter last year — the 14th warmest on record going back to 1872 — and the season seems to be headed in a similar direction this year. Every day of December so far has seen average temperatures warmer than the region’s climatological normal for the day.

* WAND | Retired ISP Colonel, Commander of Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center dies from cancer: Tad Williams, 57, a retired Illinois State Police Colonel as well as a retired Commander of Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center, passed away on Saturday. Williams, who served in law enforcement for 33 years, died after a battle with cancer. His career with the Illinois State Police took him across the state before he settled back in the Decatur area, according to an obituary shared by his children. With the ISP, Williams became a colonel in 2015 to serve as Deputy Director of the Division of Operations.

* Sun-Times | Prosecutors drop charges against man whose murder conviction was based on legally blind witness. ‘Best Christmas gift ever’: Earlier this month, a judge overturned Harris’ conviction but he remained in jail because prosecutors planned to try him again. On Tuesday, prosecutors said they had decided not to move forward with the case and dropped all charges against Harris. No physical evidence connected Harris to the shooting that left Rondell Moore dead and Quincy Woulard hurt. The case was largely based on the testimony of Dexter Saffold, who was legally blind and whose vision problems were documented in court records for years before the shooting.

* SJ-R | The Southern Illinoisan was sold. Then the new owner eliminated its entire news staff: Brandhorst said he still hopes that Paxton’s management makes good on promises to maintain news coverage of the region. “But,” he continued, “in terms of watchdog, ‘capital J’ journalism, that’s not a thing that at the moment exists here. And I would hope that the new owners and those responsible for the Southern will try to really lift this place up, really do some investigative journalism, watchdog reporting and accountability within the community. … They seem to talk like they’re going to uphold those things. But who knows?”

* Dallas Morning News | Brands see online content creators as key to shaping buying habits, especially Gen Z: Gen Z – generally defined as those born in the mid- to late-1990s to the early 2010s – now makes up 40% of all global consumers with spending power estimated to exceed $150 billion annually. How they shop is important to brands’ bottom lines.

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As the old saying goes, simple solutions are usually neither

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune: “City has lost all communication about migrant drop offs since new penalties, official says”…

Migrants are no longer being dropped off at the city’s landing zone on buses from the southern border, causing people to wander with no direction looking for shelter, according to an aide to Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, said the lack of communication is directly correlated with the city’s harsher penalties for bus owners whose vehicles violate rules to rein in chaotic bus arrivals from the southern border. She suspects bus companies are finding other ways to get migrants into the city. As of Saturday, more than 25,900 migrants had arrived in Chicago since August 2022, according to city records.

Under revised rules Wednesday, buses face “seizure and impoundment” for unloading passengers without a permit or outside of approved hours and locations. Violators will also be subject to $3,000 fines, plus towing and storage fees. […]

On Friday, she said city officials found migrants in various locations around the city — City Hall, Christkindlmarket and Union Station. According to Pacione-Zayas, migrants reported that bus drivers bought them Ventra cards and Amtrak tickets to get to Chicago.

Many experienced a positive and visceral reaction to this new policy, but then reality intruded. I suppose you can’t expect people to just sit there and take it when you’re whacking them on the shins.

* Meanwhile, shouldn’t the mayor be informed about stuff like this?…

Unreal.

The full NBC 5 story is here.

* Seven months ago…

On May 23, local Chicago activist Ja’Mal Green tweeted about the upcoming Chicago city council vote on additional funding for the influx of illegal immigrants coming to the Sanctuary City.

“Chicago, please send a message to your alderman to vote NO tomorrow to approve another 51 million for the migrant crisis,” Green wrote. “We are already at 125 million dollars in 4 months. Call Joe Biden! Our communities need that money. 20,000 homeless youth. No mental health facilities. No grocery stores. Lead in our pipes. This is ridiculous!”

And this week, that same guy who helped hamper efforts to fund shelters had this to say…

“There’s a medical emergency at this shelter literally as we’re standing here,” former mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green said. “Governor JB Pritzker needs to step in.”

Green held a news conference outside the shelter near 23rd and Halsted streets calling on the state and the federal government to investigate the health conditions at the shelter.

Not sure why anyone in the state or federal government would care what he demands, but whatevs.

Also, Ms. Cobb is right…

[Veteran political and media consultant Delmarie Cobb] said it’s impossible to separate the ongoing tensions between Black and Latinx communities from the city’s deliberate disinvestment in Black neighborhoods. However, these interactions in City Council and their consequences fundamentally highlight the need for Black and Latinx people to recognize their collective power and work collaboratively to get the necessary resources to thrive.

“If we were to work together, we could run this city, but as long as you keep a wedge between us, that will never happen,” she said.

Amplifying vacuous hate from publicity hungry failed politicos like Green is how the news media plays an irresponsible role in what she’s describing.

* From Isabel…

Sun-Times | 4 more children and woman from Pilsen migrant shelter are hospitalized:

* NBC Chicago | Johnson pushes back on questions over medical care for migrants after child’s death: A cause of death has not yet been determined in the child’s death, but Chicago Department of Public Health officials say that there have been cases of several illnesses, including chickenpox, at multiple shelters, including the location in the 2200 block of South Halsted.

* ABC Chicago | Health concerns grow over Chicago migrant shelters after boy dies, 4 others hospitalized: Late Monday night, a three-year-old who was vomiting and a seven-year-old girl with an ear infection were rushed to UIC. That came after four other children with fevers and a teenager were transported to care, adding to the growing list of medical emergencies at the shelter where a five-year-old boy got sick and later died Sunday.

* CBS Chicago | Death of 5-year-old in Pilsen raises questions about Chicago’s migrant shelters: Mayor Brandon Johnson has offered his condolences to the boy’s family, and has said the city will provide them with support services. As for what led to the boy’s death, Johnson claimed it isn’t a question of how the city’s shelters are run, but instead accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of sending asylum seekers to Chicago under inhumane conditions.

* CBS News | Study finds environmental concerns at proposed migrant tent camp site on Chicago’s Far South Side: The study found that a 275-gallon fuel oil tank was placed under the site – formal address 11414 S. Halsted St. – in 1952. This is a matter for concern based on the lack of removal records and “potential impacts to the subsurface,” the Mayor’s office said. The site also housed the Victors Valet dry cleaning facility, which is also an environmental concern due to a potential for chemical releases that could affect subsurface soils and groundwater, the Mayor’s office said.

* Block Club | Far South Side Tent Camp Site May Have An Oil Tank Underground, Used To Be A Dry Cleaners, Report Says: Materials containing asbestos or lead-based paints could also be present at the lot, according to the report. A3 Environmental Consultants examined the site on Oct. 13.

* Tribune | A temporary migrant shelter will open in Portage Park. Residents have strong feelings: An agreement to open the shelter at St. Bartholomew has not been finalized. Still, the space will open by mid-January, said Beatriz Ponce de León, the city’s Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights. It will stay open for at least six months. The shelter will house families of young children, with capacity for 300 to 350 people. Residents will pass through a metal detector on their way in and out. The shelter will have an 11 p.m. curfew, with exceptions for work.

* WGN | Meeting held about proposed migrant shelter on Northwest Side: “We think this is a really unique opportunity, different than other shelter locations, to sort of bring together our faith and support this initiative and help support this city,” Eric Wollan, chief capital assets officer for the Archdiocese of Chicago, said.

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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement goes to the late Susan Catania. Rep. Kelly Cassidy made the nomination…

For sheer “ahead of her time” fearlessness, I nominate the late former Rep. Susan Catania. If you look back at some of the big legislative advances in the last 10 years, you’d be hard pressed to find one that she wasn’t standing alone or nearly so pushing for when she served in the 1970s. Moms of young kids serving? Her daughters basically grew up on the House floor. LGBTQ equality, the Equal Rights Amendment, criminal justice reform, reproductive freedom…the list goes on and on and she was fearlessly in the forefront of issues that seemed impossible then and are reality now. She’s a hero and a role model to many who have followed.

* I have gone back and forth for the last two days on whether to shut down the blog today or tomorrow. We’re going with tomorrow, so that gives us two categories for today…

Best Statewide Officer

As always, please explain your comments or they won’t count. Also, try to nominate in both categories. Statewide includes federal. Thanks.

* Donations have slowed because lots of folks have already given and people are on winter break. We’re at $54,248 right now to buy Christmas presents for foster kids, but it would be great to reach $55,000 by the end of today, although I’m not confident we’ll do that. Every little bit helps, however, so please click here. Thanks!

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Today’s must-read

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As we’ve already discussed, the convicted ComEd Four defendants were able to delay their January sentencing date because of an Indiana corruption case which has made it to the US Supreme Court. Former Speaker Michael Madigan and his co-defendant Mike McClain are expected to ask to have their trials delayed for the same reason…

The developments come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to take up a corruption case out of Northwest Indiana, in which questions revolve around a law at play in the ComEd and Madigan cases.

* The case in question is Snyder v. United States. From the SCOTUS Blog…

Whether section 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B) criminalizes gratuities, i.e., payments in recognition of actions a state or local official has already taken or committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement to take those actions.

* From the New Republic…

The two sides in the case agree on some basic facts. James Snyder, the defendant, was elected to be the mayor of Portage, Indiana, in 2012. Portage is home to just under 38,000 people. While serving as mayor, he oversaw the bidding process for a contract to purchase new waste-management trucks for the town. Those contracts, which were worth more than $1.1 million, went to a local trucking company. In January 2014, one month after the final round of contracts was signed, the company paid Snyder $13,000 for “insurance and technology consulting.” […]

“Consistent with Indiana law, which does not forbid small-town mayors from pursuing other employment, Mayor Snyder began offering consulting services. [defense lawyers wrote]” The truck company in question simply took advantage of them.

The Justice Department saw things differently. The bidding process, from their description, had “significant irregularities.” It was overseen by one of Snyder’s personal friends who had no prior experience in such matters. The local truck company, Great Lakes Peterbilt, was also in financial trouble and needed the contracts to stay afloat. Bidding requirements were drawn up so that only the company could meet them: Only Peterbilt chassis were allowed, the city’s clerk-treasurer was cut out of the process, and alternative candidates were turned down for equipment demonstrations. Snyder communicated extensively with the Buha brothers, who owned the truck company, but not with any other candidates.

After it concluded, Snyder suddenly received a $13,000 check for consulting fees. “Neither [Snyder] nor the Buhas produced any documentation relating to any consulting agreement or services performed by [Snyder] for GLPB, and Snyder did not include the $13,000 payment on a form to disclose compensation he received from parties doing business with the city,” the government told the justices. “And at the time GLPB’s controller issued the check, Robert Buha told the controller that ‘they were paying [Snyder] for his influence.’”

Federal prosecutors charged Snyder with multiple tax and corruption–related charges. Two of the charges came from a provision in federal anti-corruption law known as Section 666. … That provision makes it a crime for state, local, territorial, and tribal leaders to “corruptly” take money “intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with” government business. A jury found Snyder guilty and sentenced him to almost two years in prison.

Snyder, on appeal, sought to dismiss his conviction by arguing that Section 666 required prosecutors to prove quid pro quo corruption—in other words, that he explicitly took the $13,000 in exchange for official acts. Prosecutors had argued that the statute’s language allowed them to charge Snyder just for accepting the money as a “gratuity” as opposed to a bribe. They noted that Congress had previously amended the statute to add a guilty-mind requirement through the word “corruptly” to avoid including potentially legitimate business and personal transactions.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the prosecutors, joining the Second, Sixth, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits in allowing gratuities to be prosecuted under Section 666. Not every federal appeals court that has considered the question agrees, however. The First and Fifth Circuits have instead held that gratuities do not fall under Section 666’s purview, instead reading the term “corruptly” to require some sort of outright quid pro quo. The Supreme Court is most likely to intervene in cases where the lower courts are sharply divided on how to interpret a federal law. […]

Snyder’s lawyers emphasized similar themes in the court’s previous anti-anti-corruption rulings. “Criminal laws must give ‘fair notice’ to avoid the risk of ‘arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement,’” they told the justices, quoting from the McDonnell ruling. “Yet, as above, the breadth of conduct potentially meeting the government’s definition of a gratuity is sweeping. As this case illustrates, any time a public servant accepts private employment (think: every ex-state legislator turned lobbyist), federal prosecutors might recast those payments as gratuities for actions taken in office.”

You should really go read the whole thing. The Seventh Circuit is in Chicago, and that’s where the Illinois defendants’ appeals will be filed, so that’s a big reason why this is so important.

*** UPDATE *** As expected…

"Considering the monumental impact that the Snyder decision will have on this irrefutably complex case and the resulting prejudice to the defendants from denying a stay, the defendants respectfully request that the court stay the proceedings or reset the trial date to the fall."

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) December 19, 2023

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Janice Jackson asks a very good question

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* For background, here’s a Sun-Times article from last week…

In its first steps toward reshaping Chicago Public Schools, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Board of Education is proposing shifting back toward neighborhood schools and away from the current system of school choice where students compete for seats in selective programs.

The board has limited time to set new ideas in motion ahead of next year’s first school board elections, but any concrete changes made before then could shape the district for years to come.

A resolution up for a vote by the board on Thursday lays out a framework for a five-year “transformational” strategic plan that the CPS CEO will present to the board in the summer. It calls for a “transition away from privatization and admissions/enrollment policies and approaches that further stratification and inequity in CPS and drive student enrollment away from neighborhood schools.” […]

This would be a radical departure for a school system built around allowing parents to choose where their children attend. Some 76% of high school students and 45% of elementary school students do not attend their assigned neighborhood schools. Chicago used to be a neighborhood-based school system, but has moved away from that model over the last 25 years. Just six years ago, CPS officials set up a new application system where they said they wanted every eighth grader to apply for high school, rather than automatically go to their neighborhood school.

* The CTU calls it “a step in the right direction”…

Though selective enrollment was originally designed to desegregate the school district, instead it has contributed to more segregation since a consent decree mandating racial diversity ended a decade ago. The Metropolitan Planning Council found that in 2000, Black students made up 24% of the enrollment at the top 5 selective enrollment high schools, and White students 27%. In the 2023-2024 school year, CPS data shows a deep inequity for Black students, who now make up just 10% of the enrollment at those five schools, while White students make up about 30%. This is especially concerning when white students make up less than 10% of students enrolled in the district.

* Former CPS CEO Janice Jackson wholly opposes the plan…

Should a student’s education be limited by their home address? Should ALL parents have the right to choose where their child goes to school? Does public school choice lead to better educational outcomes for all students?

Last Thursday, the Chicago Board of Education not only asked these questions, but prematurely and irresponsibly answered them when they adopted a resolution calling for —in plain English — phasing out Chicago’s network of selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools, and the policy of allowing students to attend non-neighborhood schools.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue (and it’s more nuanced than she describes above), Jackson does make a couple of good points about what’s known so far…

Project the impact on district enrollment and finances. Show how their plan will help or hurt student outcomes. Taxpayers also deserve to know where new revenues for promised neighborhood school investments will come from. Our communities are fed up with empty promises. […]

Who is managing community engagement, and who is accountable for the transparency, honesty and accessibility of that process to parents?

* But, to me, this is Jackson’s best question…

Lastly, why is this being done before the newly elected school board is in place? Why is an unelected board rushing through a decision that could profoundly impact present and future families in the district?

The CTU originally wanted a fully elected school board. With its former employee in the mayor’s office, it has since blasted the Illinois Senate President for trying to do just that, instead supporting a phased-in elected board. And now it’s supportive of a potentially huge systemic change before the first board members are even elected?

Fascinating.

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

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Jurors begin deliberating case against Ed Burke. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Jury ends Day 1 of deliberations in ex-Ald. Ed Burke corruption case without a verdict
∙ ABC Chicago: Jury gets case in trial of former Alderman Ed Burke

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WBEZ | As the 60-day shelter stay limit looms, a WBEZ analysis reveals most migrants stay longer: A WBEZ analysis of the lengths of their shelter stays finds that roughly 7 in 10 have stayed longer than 60 days, and that an average stay was 76 days for migrants who had exited shelter before Nov. 1.

* Sun-Times | 5-year-old boy dies, 5 others hospitalized after becoming ill at Pilsen migrant shelter: Four more children and a woman were hospitalized Monday after becoming ill at the shelter. Four girls, ages 1, 4, 8 and 9, and an 18-year-old woman were taken to hospitals at different times Monday morning with fever and vomiting, Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said.

* Planned Parenthood Illinois…

Today, Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is proud to open the doors of a new 11,200 square foot, state-of-the-art health center in Carbondale, Illinois. The Carbondale Health Center, 200 Emerald Lane, greatly expands access to reproductive health care services such as abortion and gender-affirming care for both Illinois residents and out-of-state patients.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Illinois has seen the highest increase in patients traveling from other states. PPIL has experienced a 54% increase in overall abortion care patients and has seen an unprecedented number of out-of-state patients traveling from 38 different states making up nearly a quarter of the abortion patients. […]

The Carbondale Health Center boasts five education rooms, four procedure rooms, three exam/ ultrasound rooms, a kids’ playroom, as well as a conference room and administrative space. The health center offers comprehensive reproductive health care services such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, gender-affirming health care, HIV testing and treatment medication, and abortion.

The Carbondale health center was made possible by PPIL’s RESOLVE Campaign, a $40 million fundraising effort to expand and improve access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for those in Illinois and those forced to travel for care.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Sun-Times | Sentencing delayed for ComEd bribery defendants; request to hold up Madigan corruption case also expected: Meanwhile, a defense attorney for Madigan’s co-defendant said he will be making a similar request to stay proceedings in Madigan’s case, which is set for trial in less than four months. The developments come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to take up a corruption case out of Northwest Indiana, in which questions revolve around a law central to the ComEd and Madigan cases.

* WTVO | Illinois lawmakers congregate in Rockford to preview 2024 state initiatives: Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) was just one of seven state legislators on a panel giving over 200 local government leaders a glimpse into the coming year, with budgeting, transportation, and new jobs being a few of the topics covered. “I’m optimistic about our community. We’ve had some really good things happen in the past six months to year and better things are in store for the future. So I think people need to be optimistic in our community,” Stadelman said. “There’s too much negativity at times in Rockford and the state of Illinois, and we’re having some really good announcements happening. So I think I’m primed for a really good 2024 and I want the message here that good things are happening in the Rockford area and people need to believe that that their days are ahead.”

* Riverbender | Giannoulias Announces New Laws To Take Effect Jan. 1: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced several new laws initiated by his office that will take effect at the start of the new year. The initiatives were passed earlier this year by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law.

* Patch | IARSS: New Executive Director Brings Valuable Experience: The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) is announcing the hiring of Gary Tipsord as its first-ever executive director. Tipsord is a longtime educator in central Illinois who now will help lead this organization representing the heads of Regional Offices of Education across the state.

* Tribune | New body camera footage shows Elk Grove Village man shot by police after calling 911 on himself: Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson released partial body camera footage Monday, as well as partial recordings of calls between a 911 dispatcher, Murray and Murray’s father. The officer who shot Murray has not been identified, and officers were not identified in the footage.

* Sun-Times | Faceworld gang faction latest to be targeted in FBI racketeering case in Chicago: Diontae Harper and Amonti McClure, reputed members of the Faceworld faction of the Gangster Disciples, were indicted this month in federal court on charges of participating in violent racketeering activity.

* Crain’s | Chicago and Cook County try bold experiments to combat economic inequity: Getting the $500 a month “keeps you from worrying, since you know that money is coming in every month,” Shaffer says. He uses the money for life and health insurance payments. “My job doesn’t offer that. They do, but it’s at a more costly fee.” So when work is slow and his paycheck is less, the $500 helps him make the payments and not lose his coverage.

* SJ-R | One way or another: Changes to traffic patterns on Fourth, Adams stalled until spring: A delay in the arrival of construction materials will mean the city won’t convert a stretch of Fourth Street to two-way traffic until the spring. The delay also holds up the conversion of Adams Street where Springfield drivers will experience a first between Sixth and Ninth streets: back-in-only parking on the south side of the street.

* Crain’s | The case of the $500 sandwich and the Lakeview condo board: On Jan. 1, Lakeview condo resident Bonnie Rubin will pay the first of 10 monthly payments, $50 each, to cover a fine assessed by her condo building’s board. The $500 offense was perpetrated by her brother, Wayne Miller, when he ate a Jersey Mike’s veggie sandwich on the pool deck at her building over Labor Day Weekend.

* Play Illinois | Sports Betting Handle In Illinois Rises To $1.2 Billion In October: It was the second-straight month over $1 billion of total handle. October saw a 11% improvement over September’s $1.08 billion. The year-over-year rise was stark as well, 17%, compared to the $1.03 billion wagered in October 2022.

* Vulture | Hilary Farr on Why She’s Leaving ‘Stale’ and ‘Formulaic’ Love It or List It: You know that saying, “If not now, when?” That’s truly it. I’ve been doing the show for years and I have loved doing it. But in the last season, which we did in Canada, it just felt too much like work. It felt very stale. It’s a very formulaic show.

* Daily Beast | Moms for Liberty Wants to Usher in an American Caste System: Despite the fact that the group’s preferred local candidates did not perform well during the most recent election cycle, Moms for Liberty’s overtly anti-public school rhetoric has fully seeped into the Republican Party and its platform, making the idea of a publicly funded school system “sound a lot like public health care or public transportation, right? And that is what’s really happening here,” Gilkes Borr said on this week’s episode of The New Abnormal.

* AP | WNBA to take a monthlong break for the 2024 Olympics — and Chicago Sky’s Kahleah Copper is looking to make the team: The WNBA changed the format of its in-season tournament with all Commissioner’s Cup games set to be played from June 1-13. The championship game will be on June 25. Teams now will only play the other five teams in their conference once instead of a home-and-home set.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Catholics praise pope’s approval of blessings for same-sex couples: ‘This is such a huge shift’: When Pope Francis announced he formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, Rick Garcia, a Chicago Catholic, was stunned. “When I started work with the gay community, I never expected this to happen,” he said. Garcia, who directed Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights in the 1980s and ’90s, also co-founded Equality Illinois, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

2 Comments

Live coverage

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…

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Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage

Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…

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One problem may have been dealt with, but did the city create another one?

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Viral infections have shot up among children across the country. The shelter in question was supposed to hold 1,000 people, but more than twice that many are housed there now, possibly creating what we called during the pandemic a super-spreader environment. The city has emptied the police stations, but in doing so may have created a new problem by packing humans into shelters like sardines…

The boy died yesterday. His lips were purple when his parents sought help. Favorite Staffing workers told them, roughly, "It's probably because of the cold," per police.

Today, Chicago Fire hospitalized 5 more migrant shelter residents with fevers. Ages 1, 4, 8, 9 & 18. https://t.co/YukkAXt38l

— Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) December 18, 2023

* Tribune…

Abhishek Dhar, a physician who helped migrants staying at police stations, said he is concerned about migrants living in close quarters contracting communicable diseases. Many migrants at the stations didn’t know the appropriate procedures for calling an ambulance or seeking medical care, he said. […]

The boy’s parents said their son had been sick for the past two to three days with a fever and was complaining of pain in his left leg. The day before he died, he took children’s Tylenol and a pill believed to be ibuprofen, according to a police report obtained by the Tribune.

Police said on Sunday morning he woke up hungry, and his family went out to beg for money. Juan Carlos complained that he wanted to go back to the shelter because he wasn’t feeling well. His father gave him electrolytes, and noticed he had vomited.

Juan Carlos’ lips turned purple when his family returned to the shelter, the report said. His father went upstairs to request an ambulance. Family members later told police that staff said the discoloration was “probably because of the cold,” the report said.

Go read the rest. Lots of disturbing details.

* Sun-Times…

The shelter is a converted warehouse that opened in early October and has since become the most crowded shelter in the city, holding more than 2,000 people.

It is run by Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a Kansas-based contractor the city has awarded close to $100 million to run shelters since September 2022, shortly after the first buses carrying migrants began arriving.

[Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford] said the fire department sent a district chief to the shelter Monday “to see what’s happening,” and is awaiting his report.

* Press release…

Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) released the following statement after a 5-year-old boy died on Sunday after becoming ill at a shelter for migrants in Chicago.

“The death of 5-year-old Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero is unacceptable and devastating. My heart and prayers are with his family. It is heartbreaking that substandard care, under-resourcing, and years of political inaction continue to steal bright futures and rob families and our communities of possibilities.

“Every shelter should be a safe, healthy space for families. Any facility that falls short of fulfilling that responsibility must be held accountable. I have spoken with the City of Chicago and we agree there must be a full investigation into whether Favorite Staffing can fulfill the important responsibility of providing safe and adequate temporary shelter for migrants and asylum seekers.

The Federal Government, including leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and the Administration, must grapple with the deadly consequences of inaction. The insufficient funding for cities like Chicago, which are actually welcoming and supporting asylum seekers, puts children at risk. Instead of negotiating and doubling down on ineffective draconian, Trump-era border policies, we must work together to secure adequate resources, improve intergovernmental cooperation, and expedite work permits for all. We all have a responsibility to ensure this never happens again, and we can and must do better.”

* The mayor’s response was mainly deflection and devoid of empathy for the dead child…

When asked about the situation, Johnson said that the matter is being complicated by the actions of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose busing program has led to nearly 26,000 asylum seekers being transported to Chicago.

“They’re showing up sick,” he said. “The issue is not just how we respond in the city of Chicago. It’s the fact we have a governor, an elected official in the state of Texas, that is placing families on buses without shoes, cold, wet, tired, hungry, afraid, traumatized, and then they come to the city of Chicago, where we have homelessness, mental health clinics that have been shut down and closed. We have people who are seeking employment. The governor of Texas needs to take a look in the mirror, with the chaos he’s causing for the people of this country.”

I mean, I get the mayor’s frustration, but at some point you have to start figuring this out.

* Meanwhile…

The site at 115th and Halsted streets set to become a so-called “winterized base camp” for migrants may be contaminated with pollutants from an underground fuel oil tank as well as from a defunct dry cleaners and a shuttered gas station, according to an environmental study released Monday by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.

The report from Lisle-based A3E Consulting, dated Oct. 31, recommends “additional investigation” of the 6.5 acres of land surrounding a vacant Jewel-Osco grocery store on the border between Morgan Park and West Roseland once known as the Halsted Indoor Mall before it is used to shelter migrants. […]

[21st Ward Ald. Ronnie Mosley] said he was confused about why he just saw the environmental study Monday, if it was completed by the end of October.

*Sigh*

10 Comments

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

A 5-year-old boy died Sunday after becoming ill at an overcrowded shelter in Pilsen that has been the subject of repeated complaints about unsanitary conditions.

Jean Carlos Martinez was transported from the shelter at Cermak Road and Halsted Street to Comer’s Children’s Hospital just before 3 p.m. Sunday, police said. He was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Police said detectives were investigating. Migrant advocates say the boy died in a bathroom after staff refused to call an ambulance, but this could not be confirmed with police.

“My heart and my prayers go out to the Martinez family,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement released Monday morning. “The city will continue to provide resources and support to them during this difficult time,” Johnson said in the statement.

Borderless Magazine…

On Sunday night, a Venezuelan migrant living at the shelter told Borderless the boy had a more than a 100-degree fever and was convulsing in the bathroom before emergency medical technicians and firefighters were called.

The death happened just three days after Borderless Magazine published an investigation revealing inhumane conditions inside the shelter, including a lack of medical care and the rationing of water. Interviews with those living at the shelter and videos Borderless reviewed of conditions inside the building show that the shelter fails to meet the basic standards for emergency shelter laid out by the U.N. Refugee Agency.

More here.

From Rich: Both Borderless articles rely mainly on reports from shelter residents, but a top city official says that Cook County Health is the health care provider for shelter residents.

* Press release…

The Johnson Administration has successfully transitioned nearly 4,000 asylum-seekers from emergency staging areas into temporary shelters in recent weeks. As of December 14, all police stations have been decompressed and retired as emergency staging areas. […]

The Chicago City Council implemented a bus safety ordinance on November 18 to ensure the orderly and safe intake of new arrivals to Chicago. The ordinance was amended on December 13 by the Council, enacting additional penalties, including the impoundment and towing of buses that refuse to comply with safety protocols set by the City. The safety protocols mandate that bus companies dropping off individuals in the City of Chicago must unload at the designated landing zone and must fill out the requisite paperwork to ensure an orderly process for intaking new arrivals. […]

The City has successfully resettled or reunited over 10,000 asylum seekers while providing shelter, food and wraparound services for more than 15,000 others.

* Jon Seidel…

* Mike Pries…

* Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias…

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced several new laws initiated by his office that will take effect at the start of the new year. The initiatives were passed earlier this year by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law. They include:

Combating Distracted Driving

Giannoulias drafted this legislation to increase road safety by making it illegal to Zoom, watch or stream videos, or access social media sites while driving. […]

Expanding Voter Registration for Teens

Under this measure, teens obtaining their driver’s license or ID card may preregister to vote at a Secretary of State DMV.

Giannoulias’ office initiated a measure to expand voter participation by allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote, so that, when they turn 18 and are officially eligible to vote, they are already registered to do so. [..]

Protecting Motorists’ Privacy

This first-in-the-nation legislation limits the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) to protect individuals seeking abortion care. It also prohibits this data from being used to criminalize a person’s immigration status.

* More…

Illinois Answers Project | ‘Heartbreaking’ trial in Peoria highlights failures of Illinois DCFS:

* Daily Herald | Why some congressional candidates could get kicked off the March primary ballot: Two of the targeted candidates are Democrats running in the 5th District, where they hope to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago. Two are Republicans running for the 14th District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat. The fifth is a Democrat who filed to run for the 9th District seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston. That candidate said last week he will suspend his campaign because of the objection.

* Chalkbeat | How much school are Illinois students in foster care missing? The state doesn’t track: Both the Illinois State Board of Education and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) responded to open records requests from Chalkbeat seeking that information by saying they had no applicable records. In follow-up emails, department officials said that data exists for individual school districts.

* Crain’s | Money starts to flow in transfer tax campaign: The Service Employees International Union Healthcare of Illinois/Indiana, an influential contributor to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s mayoral campaign, contributed $200,000 to the “End Homelessness” campaign committee set up to fund support for passing the referendum question on the March 19 primary ballot.

* Daily Herald | Elk Grove releases video of deadly police shooting: Elk Grove Village police released video and audio recordings Monday depicting the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man by officers on Dec. 1 and the circumstances leading up to the deadly encounter. The video, compiled from officer body-worn and dashboard cameras, shows Jack Murray walking along a sidewalk near his home while carrying an 11.5-inch knife in his right hand.

* WBEZ | Colleges hand out scholarship money to attract top students — at the expense of kids in need: The number of Black students in Illinois enrolled in college has dropped by more than a third over the past decade, and Black students like Granville often cite money as the biggest hurdle standing between them and a college degree, according to research from Gallup. […] [B]oth public and private colleges have poured money over the last 20 years into so-called merit aid for students with high grade point averages and test scores, who may not need scholarships to get a degree.

* Sun-Times | Controversial West Loop homeless encampment cleared for street cleaning: Workers from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office and the city’s Department of Family and Social Services coordinated with people to offer them shelter and resources. Seven people were given shelter by the Department of Family and Social Services in the last week, and five more accepted rehousing help Monday. When offered rehousing, 15 people declined, according to Conway.

* Tribune | CPS teacher gave officials the wrong name of boyfriend after video showed him striking a student, records show: Records show the teacher sent an email to her principal shortly after Lancaster’s off-duty altercation and said her friend Craig “Wiliams” grabbed the teen because the boy disregarded her directions to line up and directed inappropriate words at her in response. She also told the principal her friend worked for a computer company, according to a redacted incident report obtained by the Tribune.

* Tribune | Columbia College reaches tentative agreement with part-time faculty, ending historically long strike: The deal will be submitted for a ratification vote this week by the union. If union members approve, classes will proceed as planned for the short January term and the spring 2024 semester. […] Since Oct. 30, 584 adjunct professors have been protesting the administration’s decision to eliminate 53 already-enrolled classes weeks before the fall semester began and 317 course sections for the spring semester while increasing the size of other classes to cut costs.

* CFVI | How 26 Cities are Using SLFRF Dollars to Support Community Violence Interventions: A Look at the Latest Treasury Data: Of the $164 million in planned CVI-CVP spending, cities have spent approximately $33 million (or 20%) as of June 30, 2023. Again, there’s wide variation between cities: Toledo has spent 77% of its budgeted $780,000 for its “Gun Violence Reduction Initiative” whereas Milwaukee reported no expenditures for its planned $4.25 million on violence prevention efforts. The table below lists the 14 cities, how many CVI-CVP projects they have, and planned versus actual spending for those projects as of June 30, 2023.

* Farm Progress | Illinois Soybean awards ag leaders: Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, is recognized by ISA for his work advocating for policy and regulatory issues that affect agriculture. Bost represents 34 counties of Illinois’ 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Rep. Bost actively advocates for policies that address issues Illinois soybean farmers are facing,” Lumpe says. “Through his work on the House committees on Veterans’ Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Agriculture, Bost is truly making a difference for Illinois agriculture.”

* CNN | Greyhound bus stops are valuable assets. Here’s who’s cashing in on them: Houston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Tampa, Louisville, Charlottesville, Portland, Oregon, and other downtown bus depots have shuttered in recent years. Bus terminals in major hubs like Chicago and Dallas are also set to close. Greyhound and other companies have relocated their stops far away from city centers, which are often inaccessible by public transit, switched to curbside service or eliminated routes altogether.

* Bloomberg | U.S. Steel in deal to be bought for $14.1 billion: The deal caps months of uncertainty over the future of US Steel, an icon of American industry, which has been considering potential transactions since it rejected an offer from rival Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. for $7.25 billion in mid-August.

* Governing | Is There a Place for Supermarket Socialism?: It might be called an experiment in supermarket socialism. What could it look like? Well, it’s not hard to imagine a few possibilities. As detailed by Talia Soglin, a diligent Chicago Tribune reporter, the city could own the stores and operate them as a sort of public utility. It could own the properties but contract out the operation to a private company. Or, less dramatically, it could provide generous subsidies to private firms unable to make a profit in low-income territory. The city is conducting a feasibility study and is expected to announce the results early in 2024.

* CNBC | Musk’s X hit with first EU probe under new disinformation rules: The European Commission said it launched the proceedings under the DSA “on the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X’s Transparency report published on 3 November, and X’s replies to a formal request for information, which, among others, concerned the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel.”

11 Comments

ComEd Four sentencing delayed, and Madigan will file similar request

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Jon Seidel…

The sentencings of four people convicted of a lengthy conspiracy to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for ComEd will not go forward as planned next month, but a judge declined Monday to put all proceedings on hold as defense attorneys hoped.

Meanwhile, a defense attorney for Madigan’s co-defendant said he will be making a similar request to stay proceedings in Madigan’s case, which is set for trial in less than four months.

The developments come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to take up a corruption case out of Northwest Indiana, in which questions revolve around a law at play in the ComEd and Madigan cases.

Defense attorneys say the Supreme Court’s decision in the Indiana case could prove “fatal” to the verdict last May against the ComEd bribery defendants: Madigan confidant Michael McClain, ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty. […]

U.S. District Judge Manish Shah handled questions in the ComEd case as emergency judge Monday. He declined to enter a stay of proceedings but told attorneys the sentencing dates for the four defendants, which had been set for January, weren’t going to work.

Go read the rest.

25 Comments

Pritzker says forecasts can and do change, but still urges budgetary caution

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Two weeks ago today, we discussed my newspaper column about a mid-November revenue and spending forecast from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

The column, based on subscriber-only stories from November 20th and 22nd, talked about how GOMB was forecasting a $422 million net surplus for this fiscal year (even after factoring in the $160 million in new money for asylum seeker care) and an $891 million deficit for next fiscal year, with increased deficits in future years.

The column was partly about how the pandemic had thrown a monkey wrench into budget forecasting, requiring large changes even every few months. The conclusion…

So, again, can the latest projection be trusted? Not completely, but it should still be heeded. After a period of being mostly careful not to drastically increase the state’s base spending, and instead using much of the unexpected revenue bonanzas for one-time items, the legislature and the governor added a ton of money to base spending last spring. If revenues do fall off next fiscal year, base spending will likely have to be cut.

The governor’s budget address is three months away, so the budget-making process is about to begin. We’ve seen countless forecast adjustments during the past few years, so maybe this one will change, too. But, in the meantime, everyone should prepare themselves for some belt-tightening in the months ahead.

* Capitol News Illinois now has a story out that covers pretty much the same ground, but does include some quotes from the governor. You can read that story by clicking here, but this is what the governor said last week…

Well, it’s very hard to project, let’s start with that, any future years. They do their best, they use basically a set percentage increases in spending, a set percentage increase in revenues in order to come up with these numbers for future years, because it’s just so hard to predict.

You’ve even seen during the course of a budget year, where as we get closer to the end of a budget year we’re coming up with new estimates for the following year because things are changing as we go. So just as background. Why are they coming up with deficits projected for future years? Just like in the past years, if you look at the projection for last year, in the year before in the report, nobody projected a billion dollar surplus for this year.

Last year, I think the surplus there was actually a deficit projected for this year. If again, if you go back to that five-year plan, and that’s what you’re looking at.

So that five-year forecast we look at as a guide for how careful do we need to be as we move forward in the budget year Thinking about FY25. Hard to say about the rest of the years that are projected.

But I think it’s a signal to everybody. We need to be careful in Illinois, we have to balance our budget. We have to make sure that we’re making expenditures meet revenues. And so you know if that requires us to reduce the increases that may occur in certain programs, maybe that will be necessary.

But again, I think you’re gonna see different projections as we go forward just because the economy is changing. Heck, yesterday, I think, sorry, maybe this morning, we saw that interest rates have now been halted. At least the uptick of interest rates has been halted by the Fed. That’s already affecting the values on the stock market and affects whether people want to invest in things. You’re going to borrow money to buy a business, borrow money to buy a house. And projections on Wall Street that we’re going to see a down turn of interest rates that will help everybody that’s looking to buy a home I think, again, helps businesses decide that they’re gonna expand etc.

So it just kind of tries to tell you that you can look at the five year projections more as an indicator of how careful do we need to be, not as an exact number that we need to follow.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

3 Comments

Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Agency Director goes to Heidi Mueller with the Department of Juvenile Justice…

She has the toughest job in the state! She is constantly advocating for youth and seeks to eliminate biases surrounding youth. She does not back down! She is surrounded by an amazing team that works to push policies and programs that are trauma informed and evidence based.

Heidi maintains an open-door policy between her Juvenile Security Staff and is always present at the facilities. She ultimately seeks peace between DJJs opponents - she brings everyone to the table!

She has brought DJJ from the bottom and made them a national leader in trauma informed care

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Staffer is a tie. Emily Miller in the governor’s office…

She’s a do gooder actually doing good from the inside. She comes with principles but knows how to get to yes on some of the toughest issues. I’m glad to see her still on the Gov’s team after educating us on what the Rauner years meant.

* And Andy Manar in the governor’s office…

From Chinese mega corporations to tiny central Illinois villages, he works hard to make sure everyone can get what they need from state government. And while he doesn’t have time for everyone, he sure tries to find it.

Congrats to all!

We’re going to skip a few categories because we are quickly running out of time.

* On to today’s category…

Lifetime Achievement

Make sure to explain your nomination or it won’t count. Thanks.

* As I write this, several of you have stepped up and contributed a grand total of $54,198 to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois purchase Christmas presents for foster kids. That’s pretty darned amazing. But in case you haven’t contributed yet or you think you might be able to give just a little bit more, please click here. Thanks to everyone!

10 Comments

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A.D. Quig…

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez’s bid for reelection is being helped by political contributions from dozens of her government employees, many of whom donated within months of receiving raises from Martinez in their publicly funded jobs.

The first-term clerk won the office in 2020 after pledging to “adhere to the highest ethical standards” in replacing a scandal-scarred outgoing clerk, Dorothy Brown, whose tenure was marked by various controversies that included criticism she took campaign cash from her employees.

But a Tribune analysis of campaign finance and county payroll records shows Martinez repeating that same political fundraising tactic.

Since Martinez became clerk, 52 circuit court clerk employees have contributed more than $45,000 to Martinez’s three campaign funds. Of those employees, 22 received promotions or significant raises in their clerk jobs just months — sometimes days — before or after making those political contributions. Nearly all the raises were $10,000 or more, the payroll records show.

What’s more, 29 of the employees who contributed to her campaign funds also circulated petitions this fall that helped Martinez secure a spot on the March 19 primary ballot. A total of 86 clerk employees passed petitions for Martinez’s reelection campaign, collecting 831 pages, or 45% of the total signature petition sheets she turned in earlier this month. […]

Two of those petition circulators now work in the clerk’s inspector general’s office, whose mission is to “detect, deter and prevent corruption, fraud, waste, mismanagement, and misconduct.” The inspector general employees are hired by Martinez and her administration.

That last graf is wild.

* On to the state angle. Martinez is supporting appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago) in the Democratic primary. From one of Toro’s opponents…

20th District Senate candidate Graciela Guzmán issued the following statement in reaction to the recent Chicago Tribune investigation into the activity of public employees funding and staffing political campaigns for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and her proteges, including State Senator Natalie Toro. Martinez had previously backed Natalie Toro’s unsuccessful 2022 campaign for Cook County Commissioner, and led the effort to appoint Toro as 20th district State Senator. Guzmán shares:

“A recent Chicago Tribune article highlighted the troubling overlap between Iris Martinez’s government staff and her political campaign operations. The Tribune uncovered multiple instances of employees receiving promotions or significant raises shortly before or after contributing financially to Clerk Martinez’s campaign committees and/or performing political work for her. Fifty-two employees contributed a total of $45,000 to Martinez’s campaign funds, and 45% of petition sheets circulated by Martinez to put her on the ballot were circulated by employees of the public office she oversees.

Martinez has put this old-fashioned patronage machine to work on not only her own re-election bid, but on the campaigns of her hand-picked State Senate appointee Natalie Toro. Until just one week ago, Toro’s campaign committee was chaired by a Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County making a six-figure salary working under Martinez. At least three other Clerk’s office employees under Martinez have circulated petitions for Toro’s current campaign for State Senate and her 2022 campaign for Cook County Commissioner, and Martinez has funneled money from her own campaign funds to Toro’s.

The undemocratic appointment process Clerk Martinez used to elevate Natalie Toro to office over community objections is one and the same with the patronage scheme she uses to fund and staff her political projects. I am dismayed but unsurprised by these latest betrayals of the public trust from the Martinez-Toro machine. Despite appointed Senator Toro’s efforts to distance herself publicly from Clerk Martinez, her political mentor and ally, the evidence tells a different story. We trust the voters of the 20th District to reject machine politics once again.”

42 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Dems avoid a fight as Daya drops out

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. From Ishan Daya, now a former candidate for 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeperson…

“After internal deliberation, we have decided that we’ll be sunsetting the campaign today. We were able to do in 15 days what those already in power weren’t able to do over 3 months – get signatures from over 2,000 people that wanted to see change for a more progressive and democratic ward. I’m wishing the best of luck to the candidates that file for their write-in candidacy for the March 19th election, and will continue to organize our neighbors to drive pressure towards our electeds on building a more inclusive ward.”

I was told that the basis of the petition challenge against Daya was that he didn’t number his sheets.

*** UPDATE *** Ald. Scott Waguespack…

“I am pleased that Mr. Daya has decided not to pursue this effort further. I am running a write-in campaign for re-election as 32nd Ward Committeeman on the March 19, 2024 Democratic primary election ballot. I’m proud to have the continued support of residents of our community to keep building a vibrant and strong local Democratic Party that supports progressive candidates up and down the ballot.”

15 Comments

Upcoming test for Eastern Bloc

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

A group of ultra-conservative Illinois House members known as the Eastern Bloc has been stirring up trouble with the establishment in both parties for years.

The Republican districts they represent stretch from north of Decatur, over to Tuscola and down to Mattoon, Shelbyville, Effingham and Vandalia.

They are the fellas (they’re all men) who demanded Chicago be kicked out of Illinois.

The most famous member you’d likely know of is Darren Bailey, who served in both the Illinois House and the Senate then ran for governor last year and is now running for Congress against fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost.

Those folks were so steadfast against pandemic mitigations they sometimes came off as almost pro-COVID. They love guns, they think abortion is an abomination, they’re up in arms about a Chinese company opening a huge electric vehicle battery factory in Kankakee County, and they rarely if ever pass any substantive legislation.

There are now a handful of primary races in that region that could tell us a lot about the future of the Republican Party in this state. Bailey vs. Bost is one of them. The race to replace retiring Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, is another. The father of the kick-Chicago-out-of-Illinois “movement” is Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, and he’s being challenged by an equally right-wing opponent because Halbrook broke his term-limit pledge.

The Eastern Bloc rebranded themselves as the Illinois Freedom Caucus and is gearing up to challenge Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, with one of their own. Severin is conservative but not sufficiently pure for them. He’s accepted a few union contributions, for instance.

The race we’re going to talk about today is related to the Severin battle. It’s in the 110th House District, which is currently held by Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City. He’s every bit of the fire breather that Bailey is but without the burning desire (so far) to seek higher office.

Wilhour has been fighting a behind-the-scenes war with House Republican Leader Tony McCombie all year. He’s also taken on the teachers’ unions, which are trying to reestablish ties to Republican legislators now that their wealthy anti-union benefactors like Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled to Florida.

Back in September, Reps. Wilhour and Chris Miller (who is married to U.S. Rep. Mary Miller) demanded the Illinois Republican Party change its rules to declare that Republican candidates who solicit money from teachers’ unions or refuse to return their contributions “shall be condemned and automatically disassociated from the Republican Party.”

Several weeks ago, Illinois Department of Corrections employee Matt Hall started quietly circulating petitions to run against Wilhour in the Republican primary.

The Illinois Education Association confirmed it had been looking for a candidate to challenge Wilhour. A union spokesperson said the IEA did not recruit Hall but said, “We are excited about his candidacy and believe our members who live in the district will be as well.”

Asked if he would accept union contributions, Hall said, “I will accept everyone’s support, and I expect to get everyone’s support.” He said he decided to run because Wilhour “quit doing what I think a state representative needs to do,” including being responsive to constituents.

“He just doesn’t do anything,” Hall said. “In my opinion, all he does is kick and scream and doesn’t get anything passed.”

Wilhour also hasn’t stopped any Democratic bills, Hall claimed. “We need to learn how to work together and get things done and care about this district.”

In response, Rep. Wilhour said: “A primary fight with the teachers’ union has been a foregone conclusion. It’s always been about them finding their tool willing to carry their woke agenda.”

People on Wilhour’s side are convinced House GOP Leader McCombie is somehow behind Hall’s race.

“I prefer not to speak of who I’ve had contact with,” Hall said when asked if he’d spoken with McCombie about his candidacy. A McCombie aide said the leader was focused on holding and picking up seats.

Hall ended up filing his petitions. They were solid, and he had help from the IEA.

Interestingly enough, a formal objection was filed against Rep. Wilhour’s petitions. “It looks like a concerned citizen filed the complaint, and we’re interested to see what comes of it,” said an IEA spokesperson.

Sure.

Anyway, if Hall manages to beat Wilhour, a shockwave will reverberate through the far right of the party. But, if nothing else, a barrage of union money aimed at Wilhour could divert Eastern Bloc resources away from their hoped-for battle against Rep. Severin.

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Open thread

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: No migrants living in Chicago police stations for the first time since spring. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ Block Club: Migrants At Last Police Station Want Jobs, Not A Spot In City Shelters: ‘Just Give Us Work’
∙ ABC Chicago: Migrant boy, 5, dies after becoming sick at Pilsen shelter, Chicago police say
∙ Axios: City still using costly Kansas staffing firm for migrant shelters

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | Feds close corruption case against Ed Burke by telling jurors his words on secret recordings are ‘absolutely devastating’: Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker said the words of the former 14th Ward alderperson are more significant than any testimony jurors would have heard if prosecutors called FBI mole Danny Solis to the witness stand. “Think about what’s the best evidence of defendant Burke’s intent?” Streicker said. “The words that came out of his mouth. … Those words were captured on recordings. That is why we didn’t need to call Mr. Solis to tell you what Mr. Burke was thinking.

* Illinois Times | Haley suspended by NAACP: The news release also said NAACP branch presidents from throughout Illinois met Dec. 13 and “unanimously supported Haley’s quintessential leadership skills.” But the national NAACP, based in Baltimore, said in a statement Dec. 15 that it suspended Haley Dec. 13.

* Sun-Times | Fermilab’s ‘muon shot’ could see suburban lab become site of revolutionary particle collider: They also called for exploring the possibility of building a revolutionary new particle collider more powerful than any ever created — a groundbreaking device they said would fit perfectly on the Fermilab campus. The P5 report also noted the critical computing might of Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, reinforcing the Chicago area as a hub for the future of particle physics.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WSJ | Illinois Concedes on Pregnancy Centers: Illinois has been trying to use its fraud laws to target pro-life pregnancy help centers, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared this summer that he was “confident” the law was constitutional. If he still believes that, then Mr. Pritzker ought to explain why the state is backing down in federal court, unless he’s too embarrassed now by his role in this cautionary tale of Democratic overreach.

* Patch | Committee To Appoint Replacement For 82nd District Representative: “John Egofske is a tremendous leader in the community, and we thank him for his continued service as Mayor of Lemont,” DuPage Republican Chairman Jim Zay said in a release from the House Republican Organization. “Our committee looks forward to a transparent and thorough process to fill this important position.”

* Tribune | Cook County court clerk getting boost in reelection bid from her government employees: The first-term clerk won the office in 2020 after pledging to “adhere to the highest ethical standards” in replacing a scandal-scarred outgoing clerk, Dorothy Brown, whose tenure was marked by various controversies that included criticism she took campaign cash from her employees.

* Jim Dey | High court action puts ComEd bribery case back in the news: Stop the sentencing hearings! So say the lawyers for the ComEd Four. They argue a case accepted last week for review by the U.S. Supreme Court could undermine legal ground on which their clients were convicted.

* Patch | 2 Run For Elmhurst State House Seat: Elmhurst Alderman Marti Deuter is running as a Democrat to succeed Jenn Ladisch-Douglass, a Democrat who decided not to run again after one term. The Republican candidate is Elmhurst resident Dennis Reboletti, who is the elected supervisor of Addison Township.

* Sun-Times | Ex-Cook County Land Bank Authority official gets a year in prison over secret land deals: Mustafaa Saleh, 37, resigned from the county government agency in June 2019 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud last March. In May 2021, a federal grand jury subpoenaed records from the agency on 24 properties, including an abandoned hotel in Harvey and other properties overseen by Saleh, and land bank contractors he secretly owned.
Chi
* Tribune | City to remove West Loop homeless encampment in order to clean area: The encampments near Union and Ogilvie stations are the subject of an ongoing debate between Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office and Ald. Bill Conway, 34th. Conway previously told the Tribune that a top Johnson adviser tied an offer to address safety concerns there to the alderman’s votes on two key City Council ordinances.

* WaPo | Dozens of assisted-living residents died after wandering away unnoticed: Since 2018, more than 2,000 people have wandered away from assisted-living and memory-care facilities unnoticed or been left unattended for hours outside. Nearly 100 have died, and state inspectors frequently found evidence of neglect.

* Rolling Stone | Elon Musk’s Big Lie About Tesla Is Finally Exposed: Out of all the scandals over the last decade or so of venture capital-fueled excess, Tesla’s dangerous and hype-happy approach to driving automation technology has been one of the most important but also one of the most hidden in plain sight. Just like the Mechanical Turk of 1770, everyone has been so focused on the technology itself that they’ve missed the human factors that power the entire spectacle. Just as worryingly, regulators have missed that forcing humans to babysit incomplete systems introduces entirely new risks to public roads.

* Sun-Times | Richard Hunt, iconic Chicago sculptor, dies at 88: Abstract sculptor Richard Hunt, a lifelong Chicagoan who in 1971 became the first African American artist to receive a solo retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, died Saturday at age 88. Hunt “passed away peacefully” at his Chicago home, according to a statement posted to his website. A cause wasn’t released.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago photographer Barry Butler captures beauty of city in new calendar, book: Renowned photographer Barry Butler’s 2024 calendar is available now. Images include a breathtaking winter sunrise at the Lincoln Park lagoon from January, Navy Pier fireworks taken from the Willis Tower in June, and for July, a bird on cue in the center of a glorious sunset.

* NYT | With a Deadline Looming, the United Methodist Church Breaks Up: Until July, White’s Chapel was the second-largest United Methodist congregation in the country. The conservative-leaning church lost its status this year not because it shrank — it is growing, leaders say — but because it left the denomination.

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Live coverage

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage

Monday, Dec 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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