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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* From Rich: Congrats to DeShana Forney, who was just elected the new Third House Speaker!

* From Rich: The candidate ballot-position lottery was held today. If you click here and scroll down to “Link: More Information,” and then click that link, you’ll bring up the pre-lottery’s pdf report. Today’s lottery sequence is: 1, 3, 4, 2. So the “1″ candidate on the pre-lottery report will appear first on the ballot, the “3″ will appear second, and so on. As an example, Darren Bailey is a “1,” so his name will appear at the top of the ballot. Mike Bost will be second.

* Press Release…

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that IDOT has reached an agreement to provide $10 million to Chicago to help the city expand its network of safety cameras along both state routes and city streets. The increased presence of cameras will be a valuable tool to help ensure the safety and effective movement of traffic through Chicago during special events and emergencies as well as in typically busy areas. […]

The intergovernmental agreement will increase the city’s ability to monitor traffic, manage incidents and assist in increased enforcement and safety along rights of way in Chicago.

The $10 million from IDOT will cover the costs of equipment, permitting and labor associated with the purchase and installation of the cameras. The city, under the terms of the agreement, will own and manage the physical and technological infrastructure and data as well as use a vendor to provide the required supplies and services, including equipment, installation, maintenance and any repairs.

The city also will determine the specific locations of the cameras and coordinate best practices for sharing information with law enforcement agencies.

* Lake County News-Sun…

The father of the alleged Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooter was released from jail Wednesday morning after serving less than a month of his 60-day sentence due to “good behavior,” according to the Lake County sheriff’s office. […]

Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli, and public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said the charge to which Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty to is served at 50% for good behavior, meaning he received a day-for-day credit for his behavior. […]

On the day he reported for his jail sentence, Crimo Jr. arrived at the Lake County Courthouse wearing a white shirt that read, “I’m a political pawn,” in black letters. On the back of his shirt were the words “laws,” “facts” and “reality.”

* Senate Democrats…

As the new year starts, a number of new laws will take effect. Over 300 new laws will officially be on the books Jan. 1 – from one that makes Illinois the first state in the nation to prohibit the banning of books, to another that waives pet adoption fees for our nation’s heroes.

The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus outlined 10 of the most interesting laws that will take effect Jan. 1. Those include:

    · House Bill 2789: Prohibits state-funded libraries from banning or removing materials due to religious or partisan disapproval
    · House Bill 1541: Prohibits utility companies from discontinuing gas or electric services for residential users due to nonpayment of bills on days when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees or there is a heat watch, advisory or warning
    · House Bill 2389: Clarifies that no vehicle can be stopped or searched solely on the basis of any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield that may obstruct the driver’s view
    · House Bill 2245: Requires Illinois car manufacturers to establish a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles via their existing global positioning systems
    · House Bill 3924: Requires high schools to teach students about the dangers of fentanyl in all state-required health courses
    · House Bill 1540: Prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes in public places and within 15 feet of entrances
    · House Bill 3516: Allows employees up to 10 days of paid leave in any 12-month period to serve as an organ donor
    · House Bill 2431: Provides people operating a motor vehicle may not use an electronic device to participate in video conferences or access social media sites
    · Senate Bill 380: Provides a civil cause of action for fertility fraud against health care providers who knowingly or intentionally use their own human reproductive material without the patient’s informed written consent for assisted reproductive treatment
    · House Bill 2500: Requires animal shelters and animal control facilities to waive the adoption fee for military veterans in Illinois

Dozens of other laws will also take effect Jan. 1, 2024. A full list can be found at https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/2024NewLaws.

* Tribune…

Four City Hall lobbyists apparently donated improperly to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s political fund, the Chicago Board of Ethics found this week.

The board found the registered lobbyists appeared to violate a mayoral executive order by giving money to Johnson, according to probable cause findings issued at a recent meeting. […]

[A] Tribune analysis of campaign finance records identified four registered lobbyists who donated to Johnson’s candidate committee after he was sworn in as mayor in May.

Those donors include former 49th Ward Ald. Joe Moore, who now has his own lobbying business; John Dunn, former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s director of intergovernmental affairs who now works for Cozen O’Connor; Michael Cassidy with Zephyr Government Strategies; and Anthony B. Bruno, a politically connected business and government consultant in the west suburbs who was previously convicted of tax fraud.

* Block Club’s Colin Boyle captured some chaotic City Council moments …


* Press release…

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $20,927,748 in new federal funding for the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Ogden Avenue Improvement Project in the North Lawndale neighborhood. This federal investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All program will support improvements along Ogden Avenue to reduce crashes and create a safer and more comfortable corridor for people walking, biking and driving.

“Improving street safety and increasing multimodal transportation infrastructure makes for safer, more active and more vibrant communities,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to announce this important funding to help the City of Chicago to make much-needed improvements to catalyze economic development, enhance community connectivity and improve quality of life for the North Lawndale community.”

“A smoother, more streamlined transportation network allows residents to more readily and safely access opportunities, and fosters an environment where businesses can thrive,” Durbin said. “Whether it’s getting to work, school, or exploring all that Chicago has to offer, this investment will unlock new possibilities for the North Lawndale community.” […]

“Thanks to the leadership of Senators Durbin and Duckworth and all our federal partners for securing funding to support this transformative project in North Lawndale,” said CDOT Acting Commissioner Tom Carney. “CDOT will continue working closely with the community to bring this project to life and ensure that people using all modes of transportation can more safely and comfortably travel along Ogden Avenue.”

* Governor Pritzker named this week Dog and Cat Adoption Week in Illinois during a press conference today…


* Holiday season is approaching, so take a moment to listen to this certified holiday classic from Tom Irwin…



* Here’s the rest…

    * Tribune | Federal judge hears arguments on gun ban registry, while legislative panel considers rules for implementation: A federal judge in southern Illinois who earlier this year put a hold on the state’s gun ban — a decision that was reversed on appeal — on Tuesday heard arguments on a challenge to the registration process for guns grandfathered in under the law. U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn indicated he was not inclined to issue an injunction that would put off the Jan. 1 deadline for Illinois residents to register guns covered by the ban with Illinois State Police.

    * Daily Herald | Big upgrades coming to Union Station; more trains to Midwestern cities planned: A massive revamp of Chicago’s Union Station plus potentially more trains to Midwestern cities including Milwaukee are among the projects Amtrak is eying with over $101 million in new federal grants. The lion’s share of the funding, nearly $94 million, is earmarked for Union Station renovations.

    * Sun-Times | Another call for mistrial in FBG Duck murder trial — this one sparked by YouTuber’s removal from courtroom: While mainstream media outlets have largely ignored the federal murder and racketeering trial, the extraordinary events unfolding at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse have repeatedly spilled onto YouTube channels and rap blogs. In a motion filed on behalf of all the defense attorneys, lawyer Steve Greenberg said Aleta “Mickey Truth” Williams was pulled out of court last week after she falsely claimed that Rakeem “FBG Butta” Wilton had been paid to work with the feds.

    * WaPo | Pregnant women take a leading role in new legal battles over abortion: Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy. Three days later, a pregnant woman filed suit anonymously in Kentucky, arguing that the state’s near-total abortion ban violates her constitutional right to privacy and self-determination.

    * Crain’s | As U.S. EV market flattens, some brands perk up and gain on Tesla: Notably, luxury kings BMW and Mercedes-Benz are carving out bigger numbers of new EV registrations, according to the latest data from Experian. BMW more than quadrupled its EV sales from January through October, with Mercedes and Volkswagen close behind. And newcomer EV brand Rivian, freed of the production problems that held it back earlier in the year, nearly tripled its new registrations for the period.

    * AP | Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in US to fix system that monitors drivers using Autopilot: Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the update will increase warnings and alerts to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can operate. The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. Some were deadly.

    * Reuters | Meet Ashley, the world’s first AI-powered political campaign caller: Ashley is not your typical robocaller; none of her responses are canned or pre-recorded. Her creators, who intend to mainly work with Democratic campaigns and candidates, say she is the first political phone banker powered by generative AI technology similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. She is capable of having an infinite number of customized one-on-one conversations at the same time.

    * Daily Herald | A hero is born: Drucker’s buzzer-beater lifts Prospect over Glenbrook North: Prospect senior Jerry Drucker’s last shot Tuesday night was the kind a player might pull out to win a game of horse. But Drucker’s driving and fading 18-footer from the right baseline over three defenders had much bigger implications at Jean Walker Field House. When it swished through the net at the buzzer Drucker had given the Knights a dramatic 40-38 nonconference victory and Glenbrook North its first loss in 9 games.

    * Sun-Times | Obama surprises South Shore pre-K class with presents and a story: Obama, who was joined by Parkside Principal Tori Williams-Hughes, CPS Chief Schools Officer Felicia Sanders and CPS Network 12 Chief Shenethe Parks, made the surprise holiday visit as a way of spreading holiday cheer in the community ahead of winter break. And he came bearing gifts. Each student in the classroom received toys, and every student at the academy got winter accessories.

    * WCIA | How three men saved Christmas in Champaign Co.: It took a few good men and an idea. It all started in December 2022, when a Toys for Tots trailer was broken into. Thieves stole hundreds of children’s toys and items — including bikes. […] “I made contact with these guys and said, ‘Hey, well we’ll get the bikes back. Tell me how many you had,’” Peeler said. “I rounded up a bunch of guys that I know and we just went out shopping and replaced them.” But replacing last year’s stolen bikes wasn’t enough. This year, “the guys” delivered 110 bikes, eight scooters and a big wheel — all going to kids in need this Christmas.

  7 Comments      


Pritzker says GardaWorld will eat the state’s costs of canceled Brighton Park tent city

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A reporter asked Gov. Pritzker today about what payment arrangements have been made with GardaWorld now that the tent city it was building has been canceled…

So, from the state, the understanding with GardaWorld is that they will do other work with us. And they knew as they were building this shelter, before the environmental report came in, that it was possible that the environmental report wouldn’t allow the completion of the shelter.

And so they understood that and they were willing to take that liability on through the state’s contract. I can’t speak to what may have pre-existed or been in place with the city. Meanwhile, they are going to be involved and have been working to help us stand up other shelters. Remember, even the bricks and mortar shelters that already exist need work. And GardaWorld is helping us to complete that work very quickly so we can get people sheltered in the right places.

* Asked what else was happening as far as site building goes…

We’ve been working together with the Archdiocese of Chicago. They have a number of buildings that they’ve made available over time. And so we’re continuing to look at the sites. A few of them are better than others. But I want to compliment the Archdiocese and especially the Cardinal because they’ve worked from the very beginning to assist the migrants, the asylum seekers here. There are lots of other organizations that have stepped up, but I just wanted to highlight them today. And I thank the Cardinal and the church for the work that they’re doing. And there are many other faith leaders, let’s be clear, who’ve come together. I think the mayor held a press conference with some of them. We’ve also talked to a number of others and people have stepped up to do the right thing to help out and especially in this holiday season, that’s heartwarming.

* Any announcements imminent?…

Not yet, but I promise you that the city will be announcing as those shelter sites are available. I think they’ve stood up one shelter site roughly every eight or nine days during this challenge, and during the mayor’s term. And so I’m sure that there will be others announced.

* More from Isabel…

    * Crain’s | Oak Park helped Chicago house migrants. It can’t take any buses: Although no new buses have arrived in Oak Park since October, the village is currently housing roughly 180 asylum-seekers between its West Cook YMCA, the Carleton Hotel and local churches. Scaman said Oak Park is providing “wraparound services,” including daily meals and some legal support.

    * Block Club | City Paying Well More Than Typical Rent For Migrant Shelter Buildings — And Keeping Details Secret: A picture has emerged through interviews and public records: As the new mayor and his team grew desperate to find housing for the migrants, the emergency offered lucrative opportunities to some city contractors and well-connected property owners, Block Club Chicago found. In the West Loop, Johnson aides ultimately approved deals to convert three former office buildings into migrant housing at a cost to the city of as much as $1.3 million a month, according to information provided by the city.

    * ABC Buffalo | ‘Diversity is the future’: Working to recruit migrants to help restaurant industry staff shortage: “Diversity is the future. I mean we shouldn’t have waited this long to diversify the workplace,” says Kailey Gyorffy, vice president of WNY Chapter NYSRA. “Getting these people that have worked so hard in their countries and they’re completely overlooked by other major corporations in the area and we’d like to offer them an opportunity to show their skills and use their skills.”

    * Seattle Times | A year into crisis, Tukwila church struggles as 500 asylum-seekers face winter: Local and state officials were first notified by the church of the situation in the spring, a few months into people arriving. The state said it has prepared for crowds as large as New York or Chicago, but that hasn’t happened yet, meaning a full emergency response isn’t warranted. Because the crowd that does exist is outside Seattle limits, Seattle-specific agencies say they can’t help. King County has said that it’s mainly Tukwila’s problem, while Tukwila says it can’t solve this problem alone.

  12 Comments      


Chicago FOP’s new contract includes more money, looser disciplinary rules

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Better Government Association…

The BGA analysis found costs totaling at least $76.8 million above the budgeted position costs for 2024 passed by City Council in November, including:

    • $27.7 million from the change from a 2.5% raise to a 5% raise
    • $10.6 million from salary step changes
    • Potentially $11 million or more from stipends paid to officers with medical, crisis intervention, or bicycle officer training certifications, depending on the number of officers who opt for training and fulfill the stipend eligibility requirements.
    • $27.5 million for one-time retention bonuses paid to every FOP-represented officer

[…] As announced previously by the administration and analyzed by the BGA, the contract includes 5% pay raises for FOP-represented officers in 2024 and 2025, up from the 2.5% and 2% raises in those years previously contained in the union’s bargaining agreement with the Lightfoot administration. […]

In addition to the across-the-board raises, the contract contains new language increasing the salary grade of multiple CPD titles. […]

The contract includes new stipends of $1,000 annually for officers with emergency medical, crisis intervention or bike officer training certificates. […]

Referred to in the summary sheet presented to city council as a “signing bonus,” the contract language includes a one-time, non-pensionable bonus of $2,500 for all FOP-represented officers. At the 2024 budgeted headcount of 11,013 FOP-represented officers, this would cost the city $27.5 million, the BGA analysis estimates.

* So, did the city’s progressive mayor promise to spend money the city clearly doesn’t have to leverage stronger disciplinary procedures in order to prevent those multi-million-dollar settlements and weed out the bad apples? According to the BGA, nope…

In addition to its financial impacts, the contract adds significant new protections for officers facing discipline for misconduct, including time limits on how long internal investigations can take before invalidating any potential discipline, expedited and off-the-record arbitration for suspensions of thirty days or less, and new restrictions on when and where body worn cameras can be active and whether body worn camera footage can be used in disciplinary proceedings. […]

A separate amendment allows officers who have been fired to cash out all their unused compensatory time in the same manner as officers who resigned, retired or died. Previously, fired officers had only been entitled to comp time accumulated as a result of earned overtime for hours worked in excess of 171 per 28 day period. […]

One of the most significant disciplinary changes in the new contract is a stipulation that if an investigation takes more than 18 months to conclude, measured from the date on which the investigation was opened, the union can request arbitration to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for the investigation to take more than 18 months.

In such cases, the Police Department would bear the burden of demonstrating reasonable cause for delay. If the arbitrator deems reasonable cause does not exist, the hearing on the merits of the discipline cannot proceed.

* The contract does include this, however…

New language adds requirements that the department … provide officers with “appropriate training” on use-of-force rules that are consistent with department policy.

FOP President John Catanzara told me last year that he didn’t believe his members were receiving enough and proper training. He’s right.

Man, if Johnson does this with the FOP, just imagine what he’s gonna do with the CTU.

  12 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Who thumbs it better?

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Starting off with Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton)…



* On to Rep. Hoan Huynh (D-Chicago) who has regularly posted thumbs-up photos since he started running for the House…

* Back to Severin…



* Huyn’s got a whole crew…



* Trust me, this post could have hundreds of images…

* Vote here!

online polls


  21 Comments      


Unclear on the concept

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WEEK TV…

An appeals court finds a Livingston County judge must abide by Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act even though she’s strongly opposed to ending the cash bond system for people awaiting trial.

Three justices on the Fourth District Appellate Court found that Brandin Atterberry, charged in Livingston County with indecent solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a child, is entitled to a second pretrial detention hearing applying the new law’s provisions.

In early October, Judge Jennifer Bauknecht ordered Atterberry jailed before his trial, claiming he’s a threat to Livingston County children and that the new law has taken away her authority to set bond in the case.

* Here’s some of what Judge Bauknecht said…

Here I do find that the proof is evident and the presumption is great that the Defendant has committed a qualifying offense for which he is eligible for detention under the dangerousness standard. I do believe that the State has shown by clear and convincing evidence based upon the nature of the charges and the probable cause statement that the Defendant poses a very real and present threat to the safety of all of the young children under the age of 18 living in Livingston County, and I do find that at present there are no conditions of pretrial release or combination of conditions that could mitigate the real and present threat of safety to the endangered persons in Livingston County. […]

As I stated earlier, before the Pretrial Fairnesses [sic] Act, I would have given the Defendant a reasonable monetary bond that would have taken into consideration the factors that I have just enumerated here that raise concern about the Defendant having contact with any child under the age of 18 within this community; and I believe that that monetary bond would have taken into consideration his ability to pay. The Defendant may or may not have been able to post that. However, that would have served as a very strong deterrent for the Defendant; and the risk of losing that bond money has historically proven to provide a good incentive for people to not continue to engage in criminal behavior.

And since I do not have that incentive because the legislature, governor and Illinois Supreme Court have taken that discretion away from me and because the Defendant meets the dangerousness standard by clear and convincing evidence, I am ordering that he be detained pending trial.

Um, what? She’d be willing to release him on bail even though she believed he was a threat to the community?

* More from the judge…

I would note that although I have not formally incorporated this into my notes, that while the legislature has funded this brand new department [Office of Statewide Pretrial Services] with over five layers of bureaucratic management, we continue to see an inordinate amount of people with mental health disorders in our jail awaiting transfer to the Department of Human Services; and I would further note that I am aware of at least one county, that being Sangamon County, that is also concerned that we have individuals who have been found to be unfit by courts sitting in our jails for months at a time while we have this brand new department with all this money and all of this bureaucratic oversight to deal with people who have been charged with crimes.

So I point out that we have at least one individual in the Livingston County Jail who’s been there since June 23rd awaiting transfer to the Department of Human Services for mental health treatment. I have found that person to be unfit for trial and in desperate need of mental health treatment, yet he sits in our jail waiting to be transferred.

I received a letter from DHS today indicating that they have 180 people waiting for admission to a mental health facility and that it will be at least another four to five weeks before this individual will be able to obtain his mental health treatment, yet we have spent not only our time but also our very valuable resources setting up this nice, new Pretrial Fairnesses [sic] Act with a brand new department with five layers of bureaucratic oversight.

Publicity hounds gonna publicity hound.

* Yadda-yadda-yadda, the appellate court sent the case back to the judge…

Accordingly, we remand the cause with directions to hold a new detention hearing applying the proper statutory criteria. Specifically, the trial court shall make express findings, based on defendant’s individual circumstances, as to whether any condition or combination of conditions allow for defendant’s pretrial release. As judges, our role is not to choose the law but to faithfully apply it; that is, in fact, the sole object of our oath. Where a law is passed by the legislature and upheld by our supreme court as constitutional, the role of the judge is to apply the law as it is, not as the judge might wish it to be. On remand, it is the trial court’s obligation to give this case the individualized attention it deserves.

  18 Comments      


Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic Illinois State Senator goes to Sen. Cristina Castro…

She runs the exec committee efficiently, but ensures every opinion is heard. She quickly picks up on issue specifics, and can articulate key points in hearings and floor debate. She is also a political animal, and does the work needed to win, and to help her colleagues win.

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican Illinois State Senator goes to Sen. Sue Rezin…

Republican Senator Sue Rezin was impressive in efforts to pass the nuclear bill. She worked with Democrats to get the legislation through both Chambers and find a compromise with the Governor. She’s an experienced, solid lawmaker who knows how to get things done even though her party is in the super minority.

They’re both highly deserving, but congratulations to everyone who was nominated yesterday.

* On to today’s categories…

Best Contract Lobbyist

Best In-House Lobbyist

Please fully explain your nominations, and please do your best to nominate in both categories. Thanks!

* Here’s your daily reminder about buying Christmas presents for foster kids. So far, we’ve helped Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy presents for 2,087 children who don’t have a lot going for them in life right now. LSSI, their foster families and people like you who help out every year are their lifelines.

Isabel and I will be closing up shop next Wednesday or Thursday, so we’re running out of time. If you haven’t yet done so, please click here to contribute. Also, if you’ve already contributed but think you can give just a little bit more, click here.

  45 Comments      


Google releases renderings of Thompson Center’s new look

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s…

Google’s long-awaited overhaul of the Thompson Center will begin next year, the tech company says, providing the first glimpses of what it might look like.

The iconic downtown Chicago building, which has inspired legions of both passionate admirers and detractors, will maintain a distinctive glass exterior and soaring atrium inside.

But the glass will be newer and more energy efficient. The three exterior rings where the layers of the building come together appear to feature outdoor terraces. […]

The tech company says fencing will go up around the perimeter early next year, followed by construction work. Retailers already are clearing out, with the last departure expected in mid-January.

* Here’s the renderings from Google…

* Google Chicago Site Lead Karen Sauder posted a blog update this morning…

At Google, we’ve set an ambitious goal to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030. This means running our offices and data centers on clean energy, every hour of every day. One of the important steps we can take to achieve this goal is to make our offices require less energy in the first place. That’s why last year, when we announced our intent to purchase the Thompson Center, we also pledged to upgrade it to a LEED Platinum, all-electric building.

For a building like the Thompson Center, this isn’t easy. In order to achieve the efficiency gains we’re targeting, the building’s facade and internal systems have to be completely replaced. The new triple-pane glass exterior will improve both the thermal performance of the building and the comfort of those inside by requiring less energy to heat and cool. Additionally, it will modernize the way the building looks, and maximize natural daylight and views. We’ll also replace outdated heating and cooling equipment with high-efficiency systems that are capable of managing Chicago’s famously varied seasons.

Covered terraces along three levels of the southeast perimeter will offer new greenspaces. With more natural light, access to greenspace, and biophilic design elements that borrow from nature, the original design’s ode to transparency and openness will live on.

Not to be preachy, but I wonder what precautions are planned for migrating birds? Especially since 1,000 birds collided with McCormick Place in October.

* More…

    * WTTW | Google Unveils New Rendering of Thompson Center Renovation, Says the Atrium is Staying: “For the Thompson Center, we’re working with the building’s original architects at Jahn to help bring the design into the 21st century while maintaining its iconic form,” said Karen Sauder, Google Chicago site lead and global clients and agency solutions president. “The Thompson Center’s signature 17-story, light-filled atrium will remain.” But the covered colonnade at the building’s base will be significantly altered to “allow for an enhanced ground floor experience, including opportunities for more food and beverage retail and seasonal activations of the plaza,” Sauder said.

    * Block Club | Here’s A Look At The Thompson Center’s New Design: In July 2022, Google announced it would buy the center for $105 million and received city approval for redevelopment this October. Google plans to begin work in early 2024, and residents will start to see construction fencing going up soon. Sauder said the full redevelopment will take “several years” to complete.

    * Tribune | Google will reconstruct the Thompson Center starting early next year, but will retain the building’s atrium:One unknown is how the internet giant’s arrival will impact the Central Loop. The submarket was hit hard by the rise of remote work, which leaves downtown quiet several days each week. Many property owners hope Google will ignite a revival, much as it did for Fulton Market by opening in 2015 its Midwest headquarters in a former cold storage building renovated by developer Sterling Bay.

    * Sun-Times | Google releases new renderings of planned Thompson Center makeover: Google officials offered no details on what changes in color or material might be made to the atrium. The Sun-Times reported last October that Google received city permits to remove the atrium’s current metal and glass skin. The new glass exterior facade would also allow the atrium to be visible from inside outside of the building.

  26 Comments      


Open thread

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

  4 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: NAACP IL President called to resign after comparing asylum seekers to ‘savages’. Tribune…

    - Illinois State Conference NAACP President Teresa Haley compared migrants to “savages” and accused them of rape.
    - Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the remarks “reprehensible.”
    - Reached by WLS-Ch. 7 while on vacation in Dubai, Haley denied the statements, but when confronted about them being on video suggested it was fake, saying “With AI, anything is possible.”

* Related stories…

* Isabel’s top picks…

Governor Pritzker is holding a press conference to encourage Illinoisans to adopt shelter animals at 11:15 am. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

    * WICS | First set of data released related to pretrial legislation: The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS) released the first sets of data following the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. […] Since Sept. 18, OSPS has completed 4,375 investigations and 2,318 defendants have been ordered to OSPS supervision. There were 1,496 petitions for detention filed in OSPS involved cases filed on or after Sept. 18, with 976 petitions granted, 469 petitions denied and 51 petitions waiting to be heard.

    * The 21st Show | Illinois’ First Lady MK Pritzker takes us inside the Governor’s mansion: In Illinois, the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield serves as the residency for the governor and their family, and the hub for the state’s social settings. The 168-year-old building has a very rich history, dating back to before the Civil War. The mansion’s history and its renovations have been documented by Illinois’ First Lady, MK Pritzker, through a new coffee-table book called A House that Made History: The Illinois Governor’s Mansion, Legacy of an Architectural Treasure.

    * NPR Illinois | Illinois anti-hate commission calls for unity, decries bias crime and builds helpline: A recent report by the Anti Defamation League found that “Illinois has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years. In 2022, the number of incidents increased by 128% from 2021 levels, rising from 53 to 121. The state’s total was the seventh-highest number of incidents in the country in a year when ADL tracked the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide.

    * Tribune | ‘I was working under the direction of the government’: Calm and cool former alderman and FBI mole Daniel Solis heats up Ed Burke corruption trial: The last time Daniel Solis and Edward Burke were in the same room together was November 2018, when the two powerful longtime aldermen talked about Solis’ future. Solis said on the secretly recorded video that he planned to retire in the middle of his next term, maybe become a consultant and “go off into the sunset.” He told Burke he’d still bring developers his way, looking to hire Burke’s private law firm for tax work, “as long as, you know, you remember me.”

    * The Landmark | Two Chicagoans file to oppose Rashid in March primary : The Rashid campaign filed the maximum number of signatures, 1,500, allowed on nominating petitions, while Synowiecki and Vasquez each filed about 650 signatures. A minimum of 500 valid signatures are needed. The challengers to the nominating petitions include former Berwyn mayoral candidate Brendan O’Connor. The petition challenges will be heard by a hearing officer appointed by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

    * Landmark | RBHS school board member Laura Hruska files to run for state representative: Laura Hruska has never been one to avoid a challenge. But the longtime Riverside Brookfield High School District 208 school board member is taking on a big one in the upcoming year. Hruska, a longtime resident of Brookfield, is running for state representative, challenging 2nd District incumbent Democrat Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, who is an assistant majority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives and the chairwoman of the Illinois Democratic Party. Neither Hruska nor Hernandez has a primary opponent, so Hruska is guaranteed to face Hernandez in the November general election.

    * Sun-Times | City Council set to alter paid leave ordinance, but not enough to satisfy business leaders: The quick fixes teed up for approval at Wednesday’s City Council meeting include a six-month delay — until July 1 — in the requirement that businesses give their Chicago employees 10 paid days off per year, including five sick days and five vacation days. The changes would also give businesses 16 days, or “one pay period,” to remedy a problem with paid leave. But the so-called “cure period” would last only one year. After that, employees who believe they have been denied paid leave would be free to sue their employers.

    * Crain’s | The City Council will revisit migrant issues that sparked chaos in October: But a committee vote on the resolution supporting the referendum set for Tuesday was canceled and several members of the body have instead called for a City Council meeting to vote on their own non-binding referendum question asking voters if Chicago should remain a “sanctuary city.”

    * WBEZ | After swift backlash, Chicago drops restrictive new rules to public seating in city council chambers: The Chicago City Council Sergeant-at-Arms has “postponed until further notice” a controversial change to seating protocols for public meetings that sparked swift and significant backlash when made public just two weeks ago, according to a notice on the City Clerk’s website.

    * WTTW | CPS Security Guard Charged With Sexual Assault of Student Previously Cleared Backgrounding Process Despite More Than 20 Arrests, 4 Convictions: There was the time he was accused of pulling a silver BB gun on a man he attempted to rob for marijuana in Chicago. Or the time an officer reportedly found a bag of cocaine after it fell out of Campoverde’s pant leg. Or when the members of a crew breaking into vehicles in the southwest suburbs, including Campoverde, were arrested in Bolingbrook and charged with felony burglary for breaking into a man’s car.

    * WTTW | Family of 3 Boys Allegedly Abused by CPS Gym Teacher Suing School District: A family is suing Chicago Public Schools, alleging a gym teacher at a Northwest Side elementary school groomed and sexually abused three young boys. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three minor, unnamed victims, alleged that Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School physical education teacher Andrew Castro was able to continuously abuse the boys despite prior complaints of similar abuse.

    * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools leaders want to move away from school choice: The move puts in motion Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign promise to reinvigorate Chicago Public Schools’ neighborhood schools. On the campaign trail, Johnson likened the city’s school choice system to a “Hunger Games scenario” that forces competition for resources and ultimately harms schools, particularly those where students are zoned based on their address.

    * Sun-Times | CTA Yellow Line operator knew plow would be on tracks before crash but not where, federal report says: The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on CTA rail signals, railcar brakes and track conditions as it tries to determine why the train couldn’t avoid hitting the snowplow near the Howard Street station.

    * Streetsblog | Woman, 57, fatally struck by hit-and-run SUV driver is third pedestrian killed near one-mile stretch of Congress in Garfield Park in three months: The crash report says a witness told officers she was driving in front of the SUV, heading west from Pulaski Road (4000 W.) on Congress, when she noticed the SUV driver was speeding towards her. She pulled over to the side of the road, presumably to avoid a crash, and saw the SUV driver strike the victim and flee north on Kildare Avenue (4300 W.) The witness said she was unable to identify the driver because of tinted windows.

    * Daily Herald | Judge injured in explosion at Wheaton home: DuPage County Judge Kenneth Popejoy is recuperating after suffering injuries Sunday in a fireplace explosion at his home in Wheaton. […] Brill said a man was injured when a wood-burning fireplace with a gas log igniter exploded. Per department policy, Brill did not give out the name of the victim. The Daily Herald learned it was Popejoy from other sources, and confirmed it with office of the 18th Judicial Circuit.

    * Sun-Times | In strip club extortion case, brother of ex-Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg found guilty: Rommell Kellogg was found guilty Monday of charges that accused him of collecting bribes from the since-closed Arnie’s Idle Hour in exchange for keeping keep officials in the south suburb from closing the strip club.

    * Tribune | Republican National Committee backs effort to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day: The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day.

    * WaPo | Pharmacies share medical data with police without a warrant, inquiry finds: The nation’s largest pharmacy chains have handed over Americans’ prescription records to police and government investigators without a warrant, a congressional investigation found, raising concerns about threats to medical privacy. Though some of the chains require their lawyers to review law enforcement requests, three of the largest — CVS Health, Kroger and Rite Aid, with a combined 60,000 locations nationwide — said they allow pharmacy staff members to hand over customers’ medical records in the store.

  9 Comments      


Live coverage

Wednesday, Dec 13, 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

Wednesday, Dec 13, 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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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Danny Solis has been summoned to the witness stand…


* H/T to Hannah Meisel for putting this on my radar…


* Democratic Party of Illinois…

Last week, the Democratic Party of Illinois filed a friend of the court brief in a Republican challenge attempting to prevent the counting of mail-in-ballots received after Election Day. The original challenge, brought by Congressman Mike Bost and two 2020 Trump electors, was rejected by the District Court, and they have now appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The Republican National Committee is backing the appeal despite “promoting a ‘bank the vote’ program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

Current Illinois statute protects voters by ensuring that mail ballots that are timely cast will not be thrown out due to postal delays or other circumstances outside of voters’ control. The lawsuit could invalidate thousands of mail-in ballots, including those of military members serving overseas, if they are postmarked on or before Election Day but received after.

DPI’s brief urges the court to affirm the district court’s decision that the plaintiffs lack standing to bring this case and their claims fail on the merits.

“Republicans will stop at nothing to roll back our voting rights and suppress the voices of Illinoisans, including the brave men and women serving in active military duty, because they know it’s their only hope for winning elections with their losing records and disastrous agendas. The Democratic Party of Illinois is committed to always defending our values and our fundamental rights against attacks from extremists, and this case is no exception. Safeguarding the right to vote is foundational to a strong and functional democracy. It is fundamentally un-American and antidemocratic for Republicans to continue their attempts to silence Illinoisans when the will of voters is not on their side,” said DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez.

* Preliminary NTSB report on the Yellow Line crash has been released. Tribune…

The operator of a Yellow Line train hit the brakes in the moments before the train struck a snow plow on the tracks in mid-November, a preliminary report issued by federal investigators shows.

The operator also tried to use the train’s emergency brakes. A system designed to reduce sliding by the train’s wheels while braking activated, according to the report, issued Tuesday. Still, the train failed to stop, slamming into the snowplow and injuring more than a dozen people.

CTA estimated the crash caused about $8.7 million in damages to equipment, the report shows. […]

The operator knew the snowplow would be on the tracks for training, but didn’t know exactly where, federal investigators wrote.

Emphasis added by me.

* Press release…

State Senator Mike Simmons announced the launch of the 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant with $2.5 million in funds available to assist small businesses located in the 7th District. […]

“This initiative is in direct response to what we’ve seen, and will provide a much needed boost to entrepreneurs and mom and pop small businesses across our district who are struggling.”

The 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant is intended to provide funds to small businesses who have missed out on previous funding opportunities, are in danger of closure, are facing financial hardship and identify as historically underserved. Simmons secured funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to provide one-time, $10,000 micro-grants to qualified small businesses operating in brick and mortar sites within the 7th District. […]

Applications for the 7th District Small Business Restoration Grant close Feb. 2, 2024 at 5 p.m. To apply or learn more about eligibility and application requirements, visit 7sbrg.org.

* Here’s the rest of your roundup…

    * Crain’s | The Civic Federation names a new chief: Joe Ferguson, the former inspector general who investigated the city’s response to the murder of Laquan McDonald, will become president of the Civic Federation of Chicago, succeeding Laurence Msall in the watchdog role nearly a year after his death. Ferguson, 63, says he plans to focus on some of the same issues as he did during his 12-year tenure at the Chicago Office of Inspector General, notably police reform and public safety that started to become part of the federation’s portfolio under Msall. Ferguson also wants to “help a very new mayoral administration find its feet and make progress in some areas,” he says.

    * Tribune | Will County judge shares frustration with pace of criminal case against New Lenox gun shop owner, business partner: Defense attorney Jack Friedlander told the judge his team received 300 pages of discovery last week and the grand jury transcript an hour before a court proceeding Dec. 5. Friedlander asked for a continuance to review the material. […] [Will County Judge David Carlson] called the delay for grand jury transcripts an “oversight.” Pointing to the two Secret Service agents in the courtroom, Carlson said he was ready to scold them for the delay in the case. In a previous hearing, Carlson said he understood the agents were not cooperating, but it turns out that wasn’t true.

    * Injustice Watch | Unsealed records reveal new details about Illinois appellate judge’s alleged role in decades-old fraud scheme: Judge Carl Walker was never charged and denied any wrongdoing in mortgage frauds perpetrated by a real estate client. But a controversial 2003 raid on his law offices has reemerged in an effort to remove him from hearing a case.

    * Muddy River News | After losing to Pritzker, Bailey using Miller playbook in attempt to join her in Congress: Bailey is going with the Miller playbook to beat Bost. He has called him an establishment RINO (Republican in Name Only), bashing Bost’s “liberal” voting record and pledging fealty to former President Donald Trump, the tough guy who doesn’t have the cojones to debate his opponents. While most of Illinois is geographically red, the big blue dot of Chicago and the smaller blue dots in Metro East and many college towns still have the majority of people and votes, which is why Democrats have all of the statewide offices and super majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.

    * Pioneer Press | Evanston plans event to select descendants for reparations funds: The committee expects to be able to disburse payment to at least 80 direct descendants in 2024, according to the letter, and those selected will be contacted in March to decide how they would like to spend the money. A majority of those in the ancestor group have been awarded funds from the city’s cannabis dispensary tax revenues, with 26 of 140 ancestors, those who were 18 and older at the time and directly experienced racist housing policies in Evanston from 1919 to 1969, awaiting disbursements or continuing to weigh their options.

    * Daily Herald | Elgin mayor proposes using $6M in discretionary funds to lessen lead pipe replacement debt: The city has been replacing lead service lines using $13.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and voted Wednesday to approve accepting a $2 million loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The city planned to sell $20 million in general obligation bonds next year for the program, but Kaptain’s proposal would drop that down to $14 million.

    * Pioneer Press | Skokie Village Board violated Open Meetings Act, Illinois Attorney General finds: According to the public access counselor’s review of information sent by Johnson and Van Dusen, the village board adjourned its open meeting session on Oct. 2 at 8:10 p.m. to go into a closed session to discuss pending litigation. “The closed section verbatim recording confirms the allegations in Trustee Johnson’s Request for Review, which stated that during the relevant portion of the closed session meeting, the Board approved the June 5, 2023 closed session minutes with Trustee Johnson abstaining,” according to the public access counselor’s opinion.

    * SJ-R | Injunction levied against the city of Springfield for “discriminatory” housing ordinance: A federal court has blocked the city of Springfield from enforcing a local housing ordinance that prevented people with disabilities from living within 600 feet of each other, over a year after damages were awarded in the case.

    * 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.

    * Austin Weekly News | Illinois Senate President Don Harmon reflects on 20 years of change and calls for solidarity with migrants: “We need to do a better job of using these opportunities to create a more durable social infrastructure, so that we are prepared to handle the next crisis that comes around the corner, because once this one is addressed, another will inevitably come,” Harmon, of the 39th district, said.

    * Tribune | Rylie O’Meara: Chicago’s warming shelters are not adequately caring for the unhoused in winter: In my role on the board of Chicago Street Medicine and as a third-year medical student at the Stritch School of Medicine, I regularly go on “street runs” with medical providers who travel to locations in the city where people experiencing homelessness congregate and provide them with medical care. Unsurprisingly, cold weather injuries are common among those with no indoor refuge during a Chicago winter.

    * Chicago Mag | Cops vs. Counselors: Rebecca Neusteter, executive director of the Health Lab at the University of Chicago Urban Labs, which is formally evaluating the CARE pilot, says the biggest implementation hiccups are often mundane ones — “even basic questions like procuring vehicles and making sure people’s schedules align” — products of melding teams of first responders from different city agencies, with their own workplace cultures and systems. Then there’s this vital consideration: What if it had been a social worker, not a police officer, facing a bat-wielding Quintonio LeGrier? Are unarmed mental health professionals equipped to handle potentially violent situations?

    * Chicago Mag | Joe Shanahan: The Metro and Smartbar owner, 66, on DJ’ing, meeting Bob Dylan, and battling cancer: Metro was the building I could afford. It was rundown, in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood. We were duct-taping the pipes because they’d burst in the middle of a Saturday night. At first, neighbors were unhappy that we were causing such a ruckus, but then they began to realize, Oh, there are people around here at night who aren’t breaking into the cars. There’s a caretaker’s unit in the building, and I lived there with a .38 under my pillow and a cat that chased the rats out. Those first 10 years, it was pure adrenaline.

    * AP | Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers contract has $680 million deferred: Ohtani’s record-setting deal, agreed to Saturday, calls for annual salaries of $70 million, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. Of each year’s salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034-43.

    * WICS | Hunters encouraged to support Illinois Deer Donation Program for community meals: Hunters still have time to donate to the Illinois Deer Donation Program, as the 2023-2024 hunting season ends. Donated deer help feed individuals and families in east-central Illinois, and hunters do not have to pay the processing fee at partnering meat processors.

    * Tribune | 4,000 days of prayer: A man’s journey out of Chicago street violence to a trucking convoy honoring the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Since he was released from prison in October 2019, Romero commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe every December with hundreds of other truckers in a pilgrimage the weekend preceding the holiday, on Dec 12. They join thousands of devotees who visit the shrine walking, running, biking and horse riding, making the Midwest celebration the second largest one after Mexico City and the Des Plaines shrine the most visited monument of its kind in the U.S.

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NAACP IL President causes furor with horrific remarks about new arrivals

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* NAACP Illinois State Conference President Teresa Haley talked about asylum seekers during the group’s October president’s call…

* From Ms. Haley’s remarks…

There’s an average 10 to 15,000 a day. So they’re up to about 80,000 immigrants on the West Side of Chicago on the South Side, where they’re dumping them off in parks, abandoned schools and finding every apartment that they can find to put them in.

OK, first of all, 80,000? Not even close.

* Back to Haley’s comments…

And we’re seeing families on the street and we’re like, oh my God, we’re not used to seeing families on the streets. But Black people have been on the streets forever and ever. And nobody cares because they say that we’re drug addicts, we’ve got mental health issues.

But these immigrants have come over here, they’ve been raping people. They’ve been breaking into homes. They’re like savages as well. They don’t speak the language and they look at us like we were crazy, because we were the only people in America who were brought over here against our wills and were slaves, sold into slavery. But everybody else who comes over here? We’re so kind we’re so friendly. You need some clothes, you need a place to stay? We’re gonna make it happen. So brother, I feel your pain. I’m right there with you. I’m trying not to be a [N-Word] but you know, I’m pro-Black.

Haley is currently vying for a seat on the NAACP’s National Board.

* Now-former DuPage County NAACP President Patrick Watson, who told me today that he saw Haley make the comments in real time, released this statement announcing his resignation from the organization a while back…

NAACP State Conference President Teresa Haley is caught in yet another tirade “…, but these immigrants coming over here, they been raping people, they been breaking into homes, they’re like savages as well, they don’t speak the language, and they look at us like we were crazy because we were the only people in America brought over here against our wills and were slaves, sold into slavery… not trying to be a “N”…,.” This captured recording is not the only time NAACP Illinois State Conference President, Teresa Haley, uses her powerful platform in a manner that sets up a destructive atmosphere as Illinois NAACP State Conference President. Teresa Haley is also Springfield Branch President and a candidate seeking election to the National NAACP Board of Directors representing Region Three.

We live with the horror of persons being shot, shot at, exploited, shunned, burned out of houses and homes, and murdered due to being immigrants, migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, being Black, surviving being Black and male in hostile environments. We live with the news of LGBTQIA persons being harmed, missing, and being un-alived. A person in a leadership position should exercise care of her heart and words and not be flippant when speaking about how the LGBTQIA community wants to be described and acknowledged. No group of human beings should be described as, We have all these new diverse people at NAACP National. When dealing with the annual reports with National, we had people wanting me to call them they, them, it, what the hell is that?.

I cannot remain part of this, expected to nod in agreement and applaud to that which is abhorrent to me. I therefore resign as President of the DuPage County NAACP. “I will remain allying with the communities abhorrent to Ms. Haley, mistaken in her words that advocating powerfully and effectively for the descendants of the formerly enslaved means to denigrate others struggling to find their way. Those granted positions must not allow themselves to become agents of hate speech and divisiveness, she should resign and sit to answer for her words” said Patrick Watson

Watson told me Haley made disparaging remarks about LGBTQ+ people at the November meeting, which was not recorded.

* Gov. Pritzker was asked about Haley’s remarks today…

Reprehensible remarks. I would hope that she would apologize for the remarks. I also think that people should recognize that immigrants to this country are all around us. My family’s an immigrant family from a couple of generations ago. Virtually all of us came here from somewhere else. And so remarks like that are a commentary on our entire society. Extraordinarily inappropriate.

I reached out to Ms. Haley earlier today and haven’t yet heard back. But the reporter who brought up the topic with Pritzker has apparently talked to her and quoted her as saying “AI can generate anything.”

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Gov. Pritzker says he hasn’t yet spoken to AG Raoul about crisis pregnancy center lawsuit settlement

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here and here if you need it. Gov. JB Pritzker was asked by a reporter today if he agreed with Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s decision to come to an agreement with the Thomas More Society to not enforce the new state law which added crisis pregnancy centers to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act…

I haven’t spoken with the attorney general about his decision.

Looks like the guy who came up with the idea for the bill (Raoul) didn’t give a personal heads up that he was settling to the guy who signed that bill into law (Pritzker) and repeatedly defended that signature, including on CNN in August…

I’m confident this is constitutional. It’s legal.

* Anyway, the governor continued…

What I can say is it’s my understanding that the existing Consumer Fraud Protection Act will do what’s necessary to keep organizations like the crisis pregnancy centers from providing misinformation, disinformation and allow people to sue under that act. So it’s my understanding that the reason that the Attorney General made the decision to do this was it was not necessary to have this separate piece of legislation.

* But why have the new law then?…

Again, I think that there was an idea that came from the legislature. It’s a good idea to protect people when they’re seeking health care from having their healthcare provider lie to them. And so that was the impetus behind it.

Um, the idea came from AG Raoul.

* Was there an overreach by the legislature, because this is the second time the state has agreed not to enforce a law (judicial campaign limits)?…

What I can tell you is that the people who are on the losing end of a vote in the legislature often decide that their recourse is to take this thing to court, because they didn’t win in the battleground of the legislature. And so that’s been their choice to do that. They’ve done that on quite a lot of things, the vast majority of which we have won on, those of us who have advocated for a law. And occasionally, a decision is made. This was not a decision, by the way, against the state. This was a decision made by the Attorney General simply to fall back on the existing law, because it does what’s necessary.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

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A new take on ribbon cutting

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined mHUB leadership, local elected officials, business leaders, and members of Illinois’ entrepreneurial community to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening of mHUB’s new headquarters. The new innovation center is receiving $9.6 million in funding from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to continue advancing technology solutions for a clean tech economy through energy infrastructure, grid modernization, and long-energy storage.

“To make Illinois a leader in clean energy innovation, we need institutions like mHUB that convene public and private sector interests towards a common goal, such as protecting the future health and economy of our state by developing new solutions to our climate crisis,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The State is proud to recognize mHUB for the work it’s doing to scale the early-stage technologies needed to modernize, decarbonize, and incentivize industry, while protecting our most vulnerable communities.”

mHUB is a hardtech and manufacturing innovation center launched in 2017 to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that promotes growth, advancement, and innovation solutions in the manufacturing industry. The community includes over 500 active and alumni startups and small business that are supported by a coalition of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, corporate leaders, industry experts, mentors, and investors.

The new location will also provide more equitable access to Chicago’s south and west side to enhance mHUB’s partnerships with community-based organizations and uplift historically underrepresented communities.

The State’s funding will help propel clean energy and sustainable manufacturing innovation to advance the Pritzker administration’s clean energy goals as outlined in the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). With its manufacturing and sustainability-centered work, mHUB is one of the state’s most active investors in climate technologies.

* It’s kinda hard to see because of the photog hogging the shot, but Pritzker used a plasma torch to cut the “ribbon”…

“Nobody injured, nobody died.”

…Adding… Another angle is here.

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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic Illinois State Representative goes to Rep. Lance Yednock…

While I don’t always agree with his positions on the issues, he is a principled, respectful and hardworking legislator who is well-liked and respected by so many around the Capitol. He gets along well with people across the political spectrum, and has been a great leader for the moderate voices in the House. What a class act. He will be missed!

* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican Illinois State Representative goes to Rep. Norine Hammond…

Norine Hammond is what more lawmakers should aspire to be. She works her sprawling district hard. She seems to know everyone and what their pressing issues are. She knows how to work with Dems to get things done. Even when you disagree with her, she never lets anger or emotion take over.

Being a former district staffer she understands taking care of things back home means working for everyone, not just the GOP but everyone. In Springfield she knows her stuff and understands how government works and how to cut through things and get to the heart of issues.

Illinois could use a lot more Norine Hammonds.

Some very solid nominations were made yesterday, so thanks for that and congrats to our winners!

* Today’s categories…

    Best Democratic Illinois State Senator

    Best Republican Illinois State Senator

As always, explain your nomination or it won’t count. And please do your best to nominate in both categories.

* This is your daily reminder to click here and help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for their foster kids. So far, we’ve helped LSSI buy presents for 2,086 foster children. That’s just so amazing, but they serve 2,530 kids, so please click here.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another update to today’s edition

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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*** UPDATED x2 *** Elections have consequences

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Buried deep within the Chicago Public Schools board agenda for Thursday’s meeting is a proposed resolution entitled, “Resolution Regarding Values and Parameters for New Five-Year Transformational Strategic Plan, SY25-SY29.” And buried deep within that proposed resolution is this passage, which was spotted by some readers who are Chicago parents and who then forwarded it to me…

3) 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

It sure looks like the resolution, if approved, would eventually move the district away from charter schools and selective enrollment schools. These are, of course, longstanding policy goals of the Chicago Teachers Union, which helped elect one of its own as mayor.

I reached out to CPS for comment earlier today. I’ll let you know if they respond.

*** UPDATE 1 *** CPS responded and confirmed…

The Board’s resolution aims to guide engagement and development in partnership with the District on a new strategic plan with an emphasis on strengthening all neighborhood schools as a critical step toward supporting all students and closing opportunity and achievement gaps. Work on the District’s next five-year Strategic Plan has begun and will continue this spring with community engagement and outreach, beginning with the District’s Shape Our Future Survey as well as current engagement sessions about the District’s facilities master plan. The new strategic plan will be approved by the Board of Education in the summer of 2024.

While CPS will work with the community and its City partners to co-design the strategic plan, the parameters set a vision for the District to develop a plan that shifts away from a model which emphasizes school choice to one that elevates our neighborhood schools to ensure each and every student has access to a high-quality education in a supportive and welcoming school.

Specific community engagement sessions about the development of the new strategic plan will begin in February.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Hmm…


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*** UPDATED x1 - House sponsor says she’s ‘heartbroken by the decision to back down on our promise to Illinois women’ *** Thomas More Society declares victory over AG Raoul

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More background is here if you need it. Tribune…

The state would drop enforcement of a new law Gov. J.B. Pritzker and legislative backers said was aimed at deterring deceptive practices by anti-abortion pregnancy centers under a proposed agreement between the Illinois attorney general’s office and several organizations that challenged the measure.

A federal judge in August temporarily blocked the law from being enforced in a scathing opinion that called it “both stupid and very likely unconstitutional.”

If finalized and signed by a federal judge, the agreement to make the judge’s decision permanent would mark a rare victory for anti-abortion groups in a deep blue state with some of the nation’s strongest reproductive rights laws, and a blow to Pritzker, who signed the measure into law last summer and who has promoted Illinois as a national beacon for abortion rights.

* The proposed agreed order…

It is hereby ORDERED that Defendant Kwame Raoul, in his official capacity as Attorney General of the State of Illinois, and those persons identified in Rule 65(d)(2), specifically, Illinois Attorney General Raoul’s officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, all in their official capacities, as well as other persons who are in active concert or participation with those persons are permanently enjoined from enforcing the amendments to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act set forth in Senate Bill 1909 of the 103rd General Assembly, Public Act 103-0270, against Plaintiffs National Institute of Family and Life Advocates and its 81 Illinois members; Women’s Help Services d/b/a 1st Way Life Center & Focus Women’s Center; Rockford Family Initiative; Relevant Pregnancy Options Center; and Pro-Life Action League

Emphasis added.

* Thomas More Society press release…

Pro-Life Ministries Victorious Against State of Illinois’ Attack on Pregnancy Centers

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has agreed to an order permanently prohibiting the State of Illinois from enforcing a law that declared pro-life speech to be a “deceptive business practice” and defined as “consumer fraud” the sharing of certain information about the risks of abortion. Thomas More Society attorneys today filed, together with the Attorney General, a Joint Motion to Enter an Agreed Order, imposing a Permanent Injunction on the Attorney General. The Joint Motion was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, for the signature of U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston.

In July, Thomas More Society attorneys sued the Attorney General over the law—known as Senate Bill 1909, or SB 1909—representing the pregnancy center umbrella group National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), along with Illinois pregnancy centers Women’s Help Services and Relevant Pregnancy Options Center, and sidewalk counseling organizations Pro-Life Action League and Rockford Family Initiative. The Agreed Order provides for a full recovery of attorney’s fees by Thomas More Society.

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, who served as lead counsel for NIFLA and the other plaintiffs, hailed the victory as a significant win for pro-life ministries and free speech in Illinois—which will also serve as a warning to other states across the country that attempt to target pro-life ministries with discriminatory laws.

“The federal court was spot on in holding that SB 1909 is ‘both stupid and very likely unconstitutional,’” stated Breen, recalling Johnston’s preliminary injunction order. “SB 1909 exempts abortion facilities and their speech, while exclusively regulating pro-life organizations and their speech, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. This law is just one of a number of illegal new laws enacted across the country that restrict pro-life speech—we hope this permanent injunction, with full attorney’s fees, serves as a warning to other states that would seek to follow Illinois and try to silence pro-life viewpoints. We are honored to represent NIFLA and other life-affirming organizations to protect them from unjust laws like SB 1909 that seek to put a halt to their good work.”

Thomas Glessner, Founder and President of NIFLA, stated: “We are elated that a permanent injunction has been issued against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and SB 1909, which ensures this unconstitutional law will never go into effect. This is a huge win not only for NIFLA and our wonderful attorneys at the Thomas More Society but especially for pregnancy centers in the state, who serve the thousands of women in Illinois who are facing unplanned pregnancies—all at no cost. SB 1909 was an absolute weaponization of government that unfairly and unconstitutionally targeted pregnancy centers simply because they refused to refer for or perform abortions. Let this be a stern example of what awaits those who attempting to pass and enforce similar laws—look to Illinois and save taxpayer dollars for actually helping their communities instead of going after organizations that help women and their families.”

The Joint Motion follows an August 3, 2023, preliminary injunction entered by Johnston, which blocked Illinois’ enforcement of SB 1909. That court order was issued one week after Illinois enacted SB 1909. Thomas More Society attorneys filed the lawsuit against SB 1909 one hour after the law was signed.

* Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick…

While we would have liked to see the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act take full effect, we have full confidence that Attorney General Raoul will continue to investigate and hold bad actors accountable to the existing Illinois’ Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act. The lawsuit brought by the Thomas More Society is yet another example of extreme right wing groups trying to push their anti-choice agenda by any means necessary.

What people in Illinois need to know about so-called “crisis-pregnancy centers” (CPCs) is that they are run with the express purpose of preventing as many people from obtaining abortions as possible. They use a wide range of tactics to achieve this end, from simply setting up shop next to abortion providers so as to confuse and mislead patients, to actively deceiving the people who walk through their doors with regards to their private medical details, such as how far along a pregnancy is. CPCs outnumber abortion providers in Illinois 3-to-1, and they are putting pregnant people at risk. Where CPCs are using deceptive or fraudulent practices to achieve their stated goal of preventing abortions, they must be held accountable.

Apparently, the AG’s office has told folks on his side that he can use existing state consumer fraud laws against the clinics. But, if that’s the case, why spend the political capital to pass a bill and go through all this? This was his legislative initiative, after all.

* Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…

“All people should have equitable access to the reproductive health care they need and deserve. Planned Parenthood of Illinois stands by its patients ability to access reproductive health care including abortion, without being deceived, intimidated or misled. Planned Parenthood Illinois Action continues to fight for the rights of people to get the information they need to make a decision about reproductive health care that is best for their bodies, their lives and their future.”

I’ve reached out to others for comment. I’ll let you know.

*** UPDATE *** House sponsor Rep. Terra Costa Howard…

Today’s decision by the Illinois Attorney General to back off from the fight against so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” is a disappointing setback in our battle to protect every woman’s right to reproductive autonomy and freedom.

The decision whether to bear a child is one of the most profound and personal choices a person can make, and no one should try to interfere with that decision by using scare tactics or outright deception. By passing the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act (SB 1909) into law, we empowered the Attorney General to hold these centers accountable if they use pressure tactics or provide misleading information to keep women from accessing abortion care.

As the House sponsor of this bill, I am heartbroken by the decision to back down on our promise to Illinois women that these deceptive centers and their staffs will face legal consequences if they tell lies or conceal important health information from the patients who walk through their doors. This settlement undoes so much hard work by so many advocates, organizations, and legislators, who stood together against the pressure tactics of these forced birth extremists.

This decision is especially painful given yesterday’s ruling by the Texas Supreme Court that denied Kate Cox’s right to end a doomed pregnancy and preserve her own health and fertility. Since the Dobb’s decision in 2022, Illinois has been a beacon of hope to American women across our country. So this move to dismantle SB1909 is a gut punch to millions of women beyond our state.

One last point: It is deeply unfortunate that these centers are trying to hide behind the First Amendment. Let us be clear: The First Amendment does not give a shady used-car salesman the right to lie to you about the mileage on a car. A scammer does not have the right to lie to you about a fraudulent investment. And a deceptive forced-birth zealot does not have the right to lie to you about your health, your medical choices, or your right to make your own decisions about your body and your life.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated)

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Under proposed agreement, Illinois would drop enforcement of law deterring deceptive anti-abortion practices. Tribune…

    - If finalized and signed by a federal judge, the agreement to make the judge’s decision permanent would mark a rare victory for anti-abortion groups.
    - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office would be “permanently enjoined” from enforcing the law.
    - In a statement Monday evening, AG Raoul did not explain why he entered into the agreement but said it “in no way affects my ongoing work protecting women’s rights to access the full range of reproductive health services.”

* Isabel’s top picks…

    * WBEZ | Chicago scraps plans for migrant tent camp in Morgan Park: City officials say a plan to shelter migrants on a vacant lot in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood has stalled because of a “lack of urgency” as the city turns to alternative housing options for migrants. The decision comes less than a week after the state of Illinois rejected the city’s first attempt to house migrants in winterized basecamps on top of contaminated soil in Brighton Park. An outside environmental report deemed the site at 38th Street and California Avenue as toxic. Construction had already begun before the state pulled the plug.

    * Center Square | Illinois’ gun ban registry rules in federal court Tuesday: While a three-judge federal appeals panel has since sided with the state, the law is still being challenged. Two cases are pending in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Tuesday afternoon, attorney Kostas Moros said plaintiffs will argue for the Southern District of Illinois federal court to delay the Jan. 1 registration deadline.

    * Tribune | Migrants arriving by busload in Rosemont and Cicero are sent away, but welcomed in Oak Park, as suburbs respond differently to crisis: Police in Rosemont allowed migrants to get off the buses if they had someone picking them up, but threatened to impound the bus and arrest the driver for endangering the passengers if he let them out, Mayor Brad Stephens said. The Village Board planned to consider an ordinance Monday to back up such measures. Cicero approved a measure to fine bus companies $750 per person for letting out homeless migrants, spokesman Ray Hanania said.

Governor Pritzker will be in Chicago to celebrate the grand opening of the new mHUB innovation center at noon. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

    * WCIA | New professional licensing system coming to Illinois: “This new law will move us one step closer to streamlining the state’s licensure process to help connect residents with good jobs and alleviate workforce shortages across our communities,” Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said. “By providing IDFPR with this support, we will help promote an effective and streamlined licensure process for all Illinoisans.”

    * Center Square | Prosecutors push back against ex-Madigan chief’s bid for acquittal or new trial: Mapes in November asked for an acquittal, or in the alternative, a new trial in a motion before Judge John Kness. Mapes and his attorney argued that mistakes by prosecutors and the judge required an acquittal. Prosecutors pushed back on those claims in a 50-page motion in response. “At trial, the government presented ample evidence of Mapes’ repeated lies in the grand jury on March 31, 2021,” prosecutors wrote. “His motion for judgment of acquittal … ignores this evidence.”

    * Sun-Times | 100 secret recordings, 36 witnesses later, feds winding up case against Burke — but will defense call Solis as ‘hostile’ witness?: Burke’s defense team has promised to summon former Ald. Danny Solis to the witness stand — finally giving Burke the chance to confront the man who famously turned on him while wearing an FBI wire.

    * Daily Southtown | Calumet City Ald. Monet Wilson threatens legal action over Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ liaison appointment: Wilson said she recalls the roles being created by Jones when he first came into office but does not recall a more recent conversation that would have triggered the two latest appointments. The role of community liaison does not exist in the Calumet City municipal code.

    * Crain’s | Johnson wants recommendations to ’streamline’ city’s development approval process: Johnson will also create a new position of “director of process improvement” within the mayor’s office to implement the proposed changes. In a press release announcing the executive order, Johnson is quoted as saying the city’s current “processes are overly cumbersome and counterproductive for commercial and housing development.”

    * Capitol News Illinois | Secretary of State helps launch first-of-its-kind state ID program for inmates exiting Cook County Jail: Inmates released from Illinois prisons have been receiving state IDs at no charge since late 2020 when state leaders launched a pilot program, which was subsequently expanded statewide and codified into state law earlier this year. But doing the same with detainees in county jails has proved much more difficult. Prison inmates have more stable and predictable release dates, but jail detainees may stay for as long as years while awaiting trial, or as short as just a few hours.

    * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools is tapping principal Joshua Long to lead its special education department: The department — known as the Office of Diverse Learners Supports and Services — serves nearly 52,000 students with disabilities and has been without a chief since June. That’s when Stephanie Jones stepped down amid fallout from Chicago’s violations related to the use of restraint and timeout of students. The department has also struggled in recent years to ensure students with disabilities are getting services they’re legally entitled to under federal law.

    * Tribune | Republican National Committee backs effort to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day: The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day. … The case could have far-reaching consequences. During the 2020 pandemic year general election, when mail-in voting increased, as many as 266,417 votes were counted in the two-week period after Election Day, according to court documents.

    * AP | Speculation about eventual rate cuts is rising, but Fed is set to leave interest rates unchanged: With inflation edging closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, its policymakers are facing — and in some cases fueling — hopes that they will make a decisive shift in policy and cut interest rates next year, possibly as soon as spring. Such a move would reduce borrowing costs across the economy, making mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing less expensive. Stock prices could rise, too, though share prices have already risen in expectation of cuts, potentially limiting any further rise.

    * NYT | This Economy Has Bigger Problems Than ‘Bad Vibes’: The economy is growing. Wages are up. Unemployment is low. Income inequality is narrowing. The fearmongering about inflation proved to be, well, wrong. According to many economy watchers, Americans should be sending the Biden administration a gift basket full of positive vibes — and votes. Instead, consumer confidence polling paints a different picture. A recent Times/Siena poll found that only 2 percent of registered voters said economic conditions are “excellent,” and only 16 percent said they were “good.” While economic indicators suggest that the economy is healthy and growing, the American public doesn’t feel that way. Why the perception gap?

    * AP | Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google over barriers to its Android app store: Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed a lawsuit against Google three years ago, alleging that the internet search giant has been abusing its power to shield its Play Store from competition in order to protect a gold mine that makes billions of dollars annually. Just as Apple does for its iPhone app store, Google collects a commission ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps.

    * NYT | Texas Supreme Court Rules Against Woman Who Sought Court-Approved Abortion: The court ruled that the lower court made a mistake in ruling that the woman, Kate Cox, who is more than 20 weeks pregnant, was entitled to a medical exception. In its seven-page ruling, the Supreme Court found that Ms. Cox’s doctor, Damla Karsan, “asked a court to pre-authorize the abortion yet she could not, or at least did not, attest to the court that Ms. Cox’s condition poses the risks the exception requires.” Texas’ overlapping bans allow for abortions only when a pregnancy seriously threatens the health or life of the woman.

    * NYT | Why Are So Many American Pedestrians Dying at Night?: What’s even more perplexing: Nothing resembling this pattern has occurred in other comparably wealthy countries. In places like Canada and Australia, a much lower share of pedestrian fatalities occurs at night, and those fatalities — rarer in number — have generally been declining, not rising.

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Dec 12, 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 12, 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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« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
* Feds approve Medicaid coverage for state violence prevention pilot project
* Question of the day
* Bost and Bailey set aside feud as Illinois Republicans tout unity at RNC delegate breakfast
* State pre-pays $422 million in pension payments
* Dillard's gambit
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Illinois react (Updated and comments opened)
* Yesterday's stories

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