Here we go again
Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
The girlfriend of a Joliet area murder suspect looked distraught and emotional as she appeared in court Thursday morning.
Joliet police said 21-year-old Kyleigh Cleveland-Singleton made statements in an attempt to stop police from arresting her boyfriend, Romeo Nance, before he was found dead in Texas.
Cleveland-Singleton was taken to the Will County Jail, as she’s charged with obstructing justice. […]
A Will County judge said Thursday the SAFE-T act forced the court to release her from custody.
Police said Cleveland-Singleton lied to them on Monday by saying she didn’t have Nance’s phone number.
* From the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice…
Cleveland-Singleton has not been accused of any violence, her offense is the lowest class of felony, and she is caring for a three year-old son who just lost numerous members of his family to violence.
Importantly, the old money bond system also did not allow judges to deny someone release for obstruction of justice, a non-violent Class 4 felony. Before the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect, Ms. Cleveland-Singleton would have been ordered released — either with or without payment of a money bond. The court now retains the power to set numerous conditions of release that do not involve paying money. And though Ms. Cleveland-Singleton was ordered released today, she must remain on electronic monitoring. Moving forward, should Ms. Cleveland-Singleton violate the conditions of her pretrial release, the court has the power to take her into custody.
All emphasis added.
…Adding… From comments…
It’s almost like the entire Will County legal system needs to take a remedial class.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune…
When the Illinois Commerce Commission rejected an emergency motion by Peoples Gas to restore $134 million of disallowed pipeline replacement funding for 2024, the work ground to halt while the state prepared to conduct a new investigation into the long-running program.
That has resulted in dozens of unfinished projects across the city and hundreds of layoffs by contractors scheduled to work on the pipeline replacement program this year, the utility said. It also meant a smaller than requested rate increase for residential gas customers in Chicago of about $8.20 per month, which began in January, according to the utility.
But as Peoples covered holes in the ground for projects that were put on hold, it also convinced the ICC earlier this month to give the utility another shot with a “limited scope” rate request rehearing to fund completion of the unfinished work.
Testimony will begin next month and by May the ICC is expected to rule on whether Peoples can finish the work that was already underway — and pass the additional costs along to customers.
* Hannah Billingsley, who is running against Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia), revealed on Facebook that she consulted an AI app before appearing on a radio program…
Starting 2024 doing NEW things! ⭐️
I asked ChatGPT how to nail my first radio interview. Essentially, “Be yourself and be lighthearted.” Of course, I interpreted that as ‘Roast Verlon about his age and his music choices.’ That was fun. Thanks, ChatGPT. And thanks, Verlon, for being a good ol’ sport (pun intended).
* Politico…
— Congressman Darin LaHood has endorsed Tim Yager in his bid to represent the state Senate’s 37th District. Yager, a Republican, is a farmer, Henry County Board member and Henry County Farm Bureau Board member. The 37th is currently represented by Republican state Sen. Win Stoller, who isn’t seeking reelection.
— Congressman Danny Davis (IL-07) has been endorsed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and county commissioners Dennis Deer, Donna Miller, Bill Lowry, Tara Stamps and Stanley Moore.
— Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in his reelection bid.
* Press release…
Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eight metropolitan areas, decreased in five and was unchanged in one for the year ending December 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one.
“We are pleased to see continued positive economic trends across Illinois,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “IDES remains committed to sustaining a viable workforce ecosystem in which jobseekers and employers remain engaged and connected.”
The metro areas that had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+1.8%, +500) and the Springfield MSA (+1.7%, +1,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro were up +0.8% or +31,600. The metro areas with the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Kankakee MSA (-1.6%, -700) and the Decatur MSA (-1.4%, -700). Peoria MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs. The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Leisure and Hospitality and Government (ten areas each); Mining and Construction (nine areas); and Other Services (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Rockford MSA (+1.3 points to 5.9%), the Decatur MSA (+1.2 points to 5.7%), and the Kankakee MSA (+1.2 points to 5.9%). The unemployment rate fell in the Chicago Metro (-0.3 point to 3.9%).
* Here’s the rest…
* Tribune | Cash from Chicago City Hall insiders helped mother of Johnson’s top aide in her run for Houston mayor: Jackson Lee would go on to get a financial boost in her Texas campaign from Chicago City Hall insiders, bringing in more than $51,500 from city contractors, lobbyists and politicians between that August fundraiser and her loss in the December runoff, a Tribune analysis found. In total, her mayoral campaign raised $77,600 from donors with Illinois addresses.
* SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers, Giannoulias advocate for ‘Skittle law’ banning food additives: The legislation called the Illinois Food Safety Act and known colloquially as the “Skittle law,” is modeled after a California law passed in October and follows a ban in the European Union. If passed, it would go into effect in 2027. The law would also impose a civil penalty of $5,000 for first-time violators and fines not exceeding $10,000 for each subsequent infringement.
* Sun-Times | Girlfriend of Joliet mass murder suspect Romeo Nance held on home confinement in obstruction of justice case: The 21-year-old girlfriend of Joliet mass murder suspect Romeo Nance appeared in a Will County courthouse Thursday accused of giving false information to police when she claimed she didn’t know his phone number, officials said.
* WCIA | Ford Co. proposes non-sanctuary status, cites limited resources: “We’re talking about human beings here,” [Chairwoman Ann Ihrke] said. “And if they were to come here and be injured or not be doing well, then that’s not good. And it’s not good for the people that live here either, because they need the limited resources that we have.” Ihrke said nobody from the state has reached out to the county about help with migrant issues. The Zoning Committee will be fine-tuning the draft in the next couple of weeks.
* NBC Chicago | Northwestern’s handling of allegedly antisemitic incidents under investigation by US Department of Education: The complaint was filed by Zachary Marschall, the editor in chief of Campus Reform, a conservative website, over the university’s response to allegedly antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7. According to a letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the complaint alleges that Northwestern “discriminated against students on the basis of national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) by failing to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment in October, November and December.”
* WCIA | EIU officials optimistic despite slight enrollment decrease for spring 2024: According to officials, 8,688 total students are enrolled at EIU for Spring 2024 which is a 0.7% decrease from the Spring 2023 semester. […] Officials are touting improvements in several smaller subsections of the student population, including a 4% increase in international students, a 5.6% increase in high-school dual credit students, as well as a 2.1% average combined increase in fall-to-spring retention for both first-year and transfer students.
* Tribune | Brighton Park residents say city still has no clear plan to protect them from lead, other toxins identified in environmental report: “The city knows that there’s lead in the water, and they’re allowing these residents just to continue to drink it when there are steps we can take until we replace the water lines,” said Richard Zupkus, a licensed sewer specialist who lives directly behind the contaminated lot on 38th Street.
* WGN | Chemistry student busted for operating meth lab on Illinois college campus: A probable cause statement reads, “SIUE Police confirmed that the only person to make electronic access to the Science West Building between 11/22/23 and 11/27/23, and had a key to room 3000 (besides the reporting professor) was Jeremy Smalling.” Smalling, 45, was a graduate research assistant at the time. He’s listed as winning the 2018 award for physical chemistry at the university.
* Tribune | ‘Chillinois.’ ‘Taylor Drift.’ These are the finalists in the city’s snowplow naming contest.: The participants who submitted the winning names will be offered a photo opportunity beside their named plow and city swag. Chicago isn’t the only city dubbing its winter vehicles. Park Ridge announced the names of its snowplow fleet in November — including “Han Snolo” and “Sir Plows a Lot.”
* Sun-Times | White Sox hiring ESPN’s John Schriffen as new TV voice: Schriffen, 39, was among three finalists for the job, with Red Sox radio voice Will Flemming and ESPN 1000’s Connor McKnight. Schriffen, who is biracial, becomes the second Black TV play-by-play announcer in MLB, joining the Mariners’ Dave Sims. On a Zoom call with reporters, Schriffen said he doesn’t know the exact number of games he’ll broadcast, but he intends to call a vast majority.
* The Southern | Artspace 304 is hosting an exhibit of art related to a total solar eclipse: The show, PASSING into SHADOW, will be on display up and through April 8, 2024, when the real thing, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will sweep over the country and pass through Carbondale. SIU Professors Antonio Martinez and Bob Baer created a 3-dimensional work of art and science project through the generous support of Simons Foundation, a foundation which champions science through grants and gifts, bringing scientific knowledge and awareness to culture through programs like the Artspace 308 eclipse exhibit.
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* Sun-Times…
Illinois education officials are proposing an increase of $350 million in funding for local school districts next year, an amount that falls short of expectations and deals an initial blow to Chicago Public Schools’ efforts to address an impending budget crisis. […]
The law required officials to drastically increase education spending to fully fund all school districts by 2027. But since then, the state has been increasing that funding by only $350 million annually, an amount far below what’s needed to meet the deadline. Some had hoped that number would rise closer to $550 million this year. Projections estimate it’ll take until at least 2034 to fully fund the school districts with the most need at the current rate. […]
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said the need for more funding is even greater with a growing share of unhoused children and immigrant students who need language support.
“Good luck with the state making that case to Chicago legislators” that $350 million is enough, Davis Gates said.
“This idea that they are going to get out of this session without acknowledging the obvious about Chicago, I think that’s ridiculous,” she said.
As you know, Illinois is facing a projected deficit next fiscal year of $891 million.
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* Alice Yin at the Tribune…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ongoing calls for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to build more migrant shelters took a new turn Wednesday as he indicated additional sites should be located outside Chicago, even with state funding. […]
Pritzker on Monday said the Johnson administration had not told the state “where they would like us to put our resources” to build new shelters, “so we can’t help if they don’t identify those locations.”
Johnson countered Wednesday that “the state has received a number of locations that they can build a shelter at.” He did not elaborate. But city officials said they have recommended to Pritzker’s administration potential sites outside Chicago, sometimes with specific buildings in mind, a notion the governor’s office disputes.
“And you know, again, just keep in mind that the state of Illinois can build a shelter anywhere in the state of Illinois. So, the state does not have to build a shelter in Chicago,” he said.
* The full Pritzker administration response to the Tribune’s story…
As the Governor said Monday, we have repeatedly asked the city for alternate locations after their Brighton Park location did not pan out. We are still waiting for the city to identify those locations and remain committed to assisting them as soon as possible.
While some municipalities have received funding to help with asylum seeker resettlement in their communities, the vast majority of the funding for this mission has been invested in the City of Chicago. The hundreds of millions of dollars invested to create the emergency infrastructure for this mission and provide the wraparound services this population needs are based in the City of Chicago.
* Justin Laurence at Crain’s…
“Shelters do not solely have to be set up in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said at his post-City Council press conference. The [mayor’s] comments come on the heels of Pritzker saying he was “deeply concerned” over the city’s declaration that it would no longer open shelters to add to the ad-hoc network of 28 migrant shelters. […]
Johnson was asked Jan. 24 whether the city would again extend the 60-day notice deadline for migrants living in the city’s shelters, which was previously extended to Feb. 1.
Without answering whether it would be extended, Johnson said the announcement of the 60-day notice policy was made in tandem with Pritzker committing $65 million to fund shelter space for 2,200 beds.
“That process has not moved as quickly as this policy will hold,” he said.
Two thousand of those 2,200 beds were supposed to be at the Brighton Park tent city. But the proposal was scrapped after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency decided that a formal release letter stating no further environmental mediation at the site was necessary could not be issued because of outstanding pollution problems.
No similar site has since been approved.
* WTTW…
By the end of February, city officials are set to evict 6,239 migrants from city shelters, according to city data.
Johnson acknowledged Wednesday that the group of people set to be evicted likely includes 1,700 children, who could have to change schools in the middle of the academic year.
“There are no easy answers to any of this,” Johnson said.
Several times, Johnson said state officials could open new shelters outside of Chicago at any time and noted that in the early months of the crisis, the state paid for thousands of migrants to stay in hotels across the city and suburbs.
* ABC 7…
Earlier this week Johnson met with about 25 suburban mayors to ask for help with the crisis in any way they can.
So far, nobody has said what those suburban mayors agreed to do, if anything.
* From Isabel…
* Pioneer Press | Oak Park gets additional money to house migrants through February, extending its eviction deadline by a month: The village is also expected to seek $1.9 million in funding from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, village officials told Pioneer Press. According to the release, as of Jan. 11 a, 86 individuals including 40 children, are housed in 21 rooms at the hotel. Another 49 people, including 16 children, have shelter on the fourth floor at the YMCA. Nine men are each in single rooms on the third floor at the Y. Fourteen other single men are housed at a local church.
* NBC Chicago | Conflict exists in public statements between Pritzker, Johnson over migrant crisis: With buses still arriving – albeit a slower pace this week than in recent weeks – and Chicago’s 28 migrant shelters at capacity, it leaves open questions about what and how the city plans to approach the migrant crisis going forward. There are additional questions about what will happen to the nearly 1,900 migrants who potentially face a looming Feb. 1 deadline to leave their current shelter under the city’s 60-day stay limit policy.
* ABC | Inside the deteriorating conditions forcing South American migrants to flee north from country to country: Navarro said she was pregnant with her oldest daughter when the crisis happened and she and her husband couldn’t afford to put food on their table. “You look at yourself in the mirror and see how much weight you’ve lost. That’s when it hits you,” she said in Spanish.
* Tribune | New to Chicago, migrant family in mourning after their 11-month-old baby is killed in car crash: The family was coming home from an appointment with their lawyer around 3 p.m. when a car heading in the same direction struck them on southbound I-290. Yusmelis Gonzalez, 31, and their baby, Theo Aleman Gonzalez, were rushed to the hospital. Theo succumbed to his injuries early the next morning. Gonzalez remains hospitalized.
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Rate the ISP’s road rage radio ad
Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ISP press release from a few weeks ago…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is launching an educational, public awareness campaign focused on reducing incidents involving road rage. The new campaign, Road Rage. Don’t Engage. is designed to raise awareness about an increase in road rage incidents leading to violence, as well as educate the public on the signs of road rage and tips on how to prevent and handle these situations.
“Although road rage is nothing new, we’re seeing people react more aggressively and dangerously,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The message is simple – if you see or become part of a road rage situation, don’t engage. That extra car length you gain by cutting someone off, or arriving 10 seconds earlier by tailgating another person, is not worth your life.”
ISP developed a campaign to raise public awareness about road rage and the disturbing trend. The campaign consists of social media, including a social media toolkit, along with billboards and radio ads in strategic markets. ISP Safety Education Officers across the state will continue to educate the public on the dangers of road rage and how to deal with the dangerous behavior.
More information, including the social media ads can be found here.
The ISP says that while the number of interstate shootings was down more than 30 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, shootings involving road rage “have increased over the past two years.” Southern Illinois University helped produce the radio spots.
* The thirty-second radio ad running in Chicagoland is striking. A longtime subscriber reached out to me yesterday and asked if I’d heard it. I hadn’t, so I obtained a copy from the ISP.
The spot begins with the sound of gunshots and warns listeners that the other driver may have a gun…
Script…
[Sound of gunshots]
Announcer: Listen! Road rage is escalating on Chicago’s expressways. Road rage drivers are using guns to shoot at other drivers.
[Sound of screeching tires]
Driver: Stay in your lane! Come on, man!
Announcer: So when driving, be aware and stay calm. A driver with road rage may have a gun! And if you encounter road rage, don’t engage.
Sponsored by the Illinois State Police. Aired in cooperation with the Illinois Broadcasters Association and this station.
The 60-second ad is here.
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* Illinois Policy Institute…
The Chicago City Council is considering an ordinance that would effectively ban the use of natural gas in most new buildings, potentially doubling heating costs.
The Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance introduced by Ald. Maria Hadden, D-49th Ward, would establish a lower emissions threshold for energy sources in new buildings, essentially prohibiting the future use of natural gas.
Proponents of the ordinance argue the lower threshold plays a key role in slashing emissions and reducing high gas bills in Chicago, while keeping environmental policy in line with other major cities.
Citizens Utility Board Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said Chicagoans could save between $11,000 and $24,000 over 20 years by making their homes entirely electric.
But Peoples Gas, the natural gas utility serving the city, said making Chicagoans use all-electric heat could cost them double what they would pay for natural gas, and still increase emissions because of limited output from renewables.
* This is what Peoples Gas said in full…
The concerns expressed this week by aldermen, union workers, and business leaders are accurate. This proposed ordinance would increase costs and risk reliability for everyone, especially during the coldest days of the year like Chicago has been seeing.
Let’s look at the facts. It costs up to $75,000 to convert a Chicago home to all-electric. On top of that expense, forcing homes to rely on all-electric heat would cost Chicagoans two times more than natural gas.
Further, Chicago may see emissions go up under this plan. The grid that powers Chicago uses coal and natural gas to keep the lights on. Renewable energy accounts for less than 4% on any given day.
1) The city ordinance is about new construction, not conversion.
2) Most of Chicago’s electricity comes from nuclear power. The renewables number may not be accurate, either.
3) The Citizens Utility Board disagrees with PG’s cost argument…
This is just fear-mongering from a utility, Peoples Gas, that is trying to protect a 6-year string of record profits and distract us from the fact that their greed has rendered gas bills unaffordable for huge numbers of Chicagoans. Gas bills are so expensive that about one in five customers are struggling in debt and could face disconnection. Heating fuel that is unaffordable is, by definition, unreliable.
This is why it’s imperative to begin the transition to more affordable, reliable, cleaner energy sources for our homes and workplaces, and the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) represents a manageable first step in that direction. CABO would cover new construction only–and multiple studies show that all-electric buildings are cheaper to build and maintain than those with gas.
It’s ridiculous for Peoples Gas to assert that the emissions standards for new construction that CABO envisions wouldn’t help move us toward the climate goals that both the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago have embraced. Burning gas in our homes threatens our health, our climate and our bottom lines. We need strong policies like CABO to initiate a thoughtful, managed transition toward better options.
* Heather Cherone at WTTW…
The ordinance would set an indoor emissions standard that natural gas appliances cannot comply with, requiring all-electric heat and appliances to be installed in new construction. The proposal would not require exsiting homes and businesses to install electric appliances, Hadden said.
The change is designed to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in newly built structures, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. Nearly 70% of total citywide greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings in Chicago. […]
New hospitals, research laboratories, emergency backup power generators and commercial cooking equipment would be exempt from the requirements, according to the proposal. […]
A 2022 analysis paid for by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that Chicagoans could save roughly $11,000 to $24,000 during a 20-year period by replacing natural gas appliances with all-electric stoves and furnaces.
That study is here. The proposed ordinance is here.
Thoughts?
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* Greg Hinz…
A fundraiser [for the Illinois Republican Party] set for next month not only is a sellout, with 740 tickets purchased for the Feb. 9 dinner at a Rosemont hotel, but has garnered more money than the party reported raising all of last year. Combined with an armistice of sorts between often feuding factions on the party’s central committee, the party appears to have taken at least initial steps to pull out of the funk it’s been in since former Gov. Bruce Rauner lost his re-election bid to Democrat J.B. Pritzker in November 2018. […]
The upcoming Rosemont event featuring U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana already has grossed “more than $300,000,” says party Chairman Don Tracy, a Springfield lawyer who took office after Rauner left the state. And with three weeks to go, the party has added as many seats as it can to the Rosemont venue and sold them all. […]
In an odd twist that also indicates some change, Tracy said much of the proceeds from the event will be used to amplify the Illinois GOP’s early- and absentee-vote efforts. Ergo the dinner’s “bank the vote” theme.
Former President Donald Trump famously ridiculed such efforts after his 2020 loss, repeatedly charging that any votes not cast in person on Election Day were subject to massive fraud. Many party professionals later concluded that relying strictly on in-person votes ceded too much ground to Democrats, and Tracy said efforts to get the GOP back into the early-vote game this year have the blessing of not just the Republican National Committee but Trump himself.
There’s more.
* Allison Janowski at the Democratic Party of Illinois asked to respond…
The Illinois GOP is celebrating their upcoming “Bank Your Vote” Gala as a turning point for their struggling party, but in reality, it’s another ironic display of their ongoing identity crisis. With no record to run on and an authoritarian extremist poised to sit at the top of their ticket, the IL GOP is once again struggling to connect with voters.
In turn, they’ve decided to lean into the RNC’s “Bank Your Vote” campaign for the fundraiser and their 2024 strategy, encouraging Republicans to vote early or vote by mail, methods which many high-profile Republicans, including their presumptive nominee Donald Trump, have repeatedly and falsely claimed leads to election fraud.
The keynote speaker for the gala, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, was among those who questioned the results of the 2020 election, supported efforts to challenge the results, and even sent a fundraising email pushing the “Big Lie” conspiracy.
While they publicly roll out this effort to increase early and absentee voting, Illinois Republicans have spent significant energy behind the scenes attempting to suppress the vote through litigation. Illinois voters have repeatedly rejected their extreme agenda in free and fair elections, so they’ve resorted to desperate measures to turn the tides. Congressman Mike Bost has sought to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day, and IL GOP Treasurer Laura Pollastrini is a co-plaintiff in that effort. The ongoing appeal was also supported by the RNC through an amicus brief, despite their public 180 on mail-in voting.
The gala is a clear example of a national GOP tension between their electoral strategy and the inflammatory rhetoric of their party leader.
The IL GOP won’t disavow Bost’s efforts to restrict Illinoisans’ right to vote, John Kennedy’s history of pushing election fraud, or Donald Trump’s anti-democratic agenda, but they are happy to take up this new-found passion for early and absentee voting when electorally convenient.
Discuss.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
Under current law, survivors seeking an order of protection can request the removal of firearms, but enforcement is often inconsistent, advocates say.
Karina’s Bill would require judges to serve a search warrant along with orders of protection to ensure law enforcement has the clear guidance and authority to enter a home and remove firearms. Law enforcement would have 48 hours to serve the warrant and seize the weapon.
Ongoing negotiations between bill sponsors and law enforcement agencies have stalled the bill’s progress.
The Illinois State Police has the primary responsibility, under state law, but it relies heavily on local police and sheriff’s departments to go to a home and remove a gun.
* Rep. Joyce Mason filed HB4577…
Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that no public high school of a school district may punish or penalize a student because of an unpaid balance on the student’s school account. Removes a provision making the prohibition on withholding a student’s grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance inoperative beginning 3 years from May 5, 2022. Effective immediately.
* Tribune…
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, and community leaders called on state legislators to pass his bill that addresses repeat gun offenders, during a meeting Wednesday with police chiefs and command staff at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.
House Bill 4453 states if a juvenile has previously been placed on probation for or convicted of a gun offense that did not result in injury, then judges should require the juvenile to participate in social service programs for three months.
If the juvenile commits another gun offense, then the juvenile should be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice and receive services such as education, mental health services, drug treatment and mentoring, according to the bill.
“If a juvenile is repeatedly using or possessing a firearm, we must act,” DeLuca said. “Where do you think a juvenile’s life is headed when they are repeatedly involved in gun crime? Which road is their life headed down? How will they behave as an adult without an intervention?”
* HB4571 from Rep. Kimberly du Buclet…
Creates the Small Business Economic Incentive Act. Provides that at least 50% of the dollar value of all economic incentives awarded to businesses by the State or by any State agency on or after January 1, 2025 shall be awarded to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. Effective January 1, 2025.
* KMOX…
The state of Illinois could soon be the ninth state to be able to conduct their elections by mail. Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons (D) has introduced legislation in the statehouse in Springfield, Illinois that could make election all mail possible in the future.
Ammons explained to Total Information A.M. Wednesday that her legislation isn’t a full statewide vote by mail, but it would let clerks to be able to send ballots to all registered voters in their jurisdiction automatically.
“This is not the full vote by mail option you see in the state of Utah and Colorado,” said Ammons. “This is the step that both states took before they got statewide vote by mail.” […]
Another benefit from the change would potentially be saving money on renting out space for polling locations, and paying election judges.
“My county( which includes Champagne) literally had 67 polling locations,” said Ammons. “You would not have to fund and get election judges at each of those locations. These would simply go into your home and people can take their time to look at their ballot and research the candidate and simply mail them back from the comfort of their home.”
* Rep. Jaime Andrade filed HB4572 yesterday…
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the issuance of a Montessori educator license to qualified individuals to teach using the Montessori method in public school programs that use the Montessori method as the primary method of instruction. Sets forth the requirements that an individual must satisfy to be issued a Montessori educator license, which include requiring the applicant to have (i) graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor’s degree, (ii) a Montessori certificate or credential issued by an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, by the American Montessori Society, or by the Association Montessori Internationale, and (iii) successfully completed required testing. Makes related changes to provisions concerning educator testing and fees.
* SB2872 from Sen. Rachel Ventura…
Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that each school district shall provide to students, in addition to and not substituting recess, at least once a week, relaxation activities to enhance the mental and physical health of students as part of the school day. Specifies which activities may be considered relaxation activities. Provides that a school district may partner with local community-based organizations to provide relaxation activities. Provides that these activities may take place in a physical education class, social-emotional learning class, or student-support or advisory class or as a part of another similar class, including a new class.
* HB4569 from Rep. Jay Hoffman…
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the State shall indemnify and hold harmless a board-certified forensic pathologist who has been appointed or designated by a county or a county coroner’s office to perform autopsies for all of the pathologist’s acts, omissions, decisions, or conduct arising out of the scope of the pathologist’s duties of performing autopsies for the county, except those involving willful or wanton misconduct. Provides that indemnification shall be as provided under the State Employee Indemnification Act. Amends the State Employee Indemnification Act to make conforming changes.
* Rep. Dave Severin filed HB4570…
Amends the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985. Provides that a licensed cosmetology teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a barber teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a barber teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a licensed cosmetology teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her cosmetology teacher license in subjects that are common to both barbering and cosmetology in the supplemental barber course. Provides that a licensed barber teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a cosmetology teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a cosmetology teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a licensed barber teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her barber teacher license in subjects that are common to both barbering and cosmetology in the supplemental cosmetology course. Provides that a licensed esthetician teacher or licensed nail technician teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a cosmetology teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a cosmetology teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a esthetician teacher or licensed nail technician teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her esthetician teacher or nail technician teacher license in subjects that are common to both esthetics or nail technology and cosmetology. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Responsibilities shall provide for the implementation of these provisions by rule.
* Rep. Bradley Fritts’ HB4574…
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if the defendant committed the offense in or on the grounds of a hospital, ambulatory surgical treatment center, physician’s office, or other medical facility that treats patients and the offense was a crime of violence committed against a licensed health care professional or an employee of a hospital, ambulatory surgical treatment center, physician’s office, or other medical facility that treats patients, this factor shall be accorded weight in favor of imposing a term of imprisonment or may be considered by the court as a reason to impose a more severe sentence.
* HB4576 from Rep. Yolonda Morris…
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt a rule, in consultation with a librarian who has a minimum of a Master’s degree or has a Ph.D. in Library Science or Library and Information Science from an accredited college or university, appointed by the Director of Corrections, prohibiting the chief administrative officer or other correctional officer of a correctional institution or facility of the Department from summarily rejecting for use or receipt by committed persons books, publications, or library materials or from establishing lists of prohibited publications to committed persons unless those books, publications, or library materials: (1) are detrimental to the security of the correctional institution or facility; (2) constitute child pornography as defined in the Criminal Code of 2012; or (3) may be used to facilitate criminal activity. Provides that the rule shall provide that a committed person may appeal to the Director or another person or body that the Director may appoint if the committed person is denied access to the books, publications, or library materials that are requested. Provides that a final decision of the Director or appointed person or body is subject to review under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Chicago City Council mulls natural gas ban, skips vote on police arbitration. NBC Chicago…
- The council declined to take up a measure that would have called for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, angering protesters who were calling for such a measure in the chamber.
-Lawmakers also deferred a measure that would allow Chicago police officers accused of misconduct to have their cases heard behind closed doors, rather than a public meeting of the Chicago Police Board.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* WBEZ | Illinois OKs plan to revamp how reading is taught: The report outlines seven parts of literacy instruction, including comprehension and writing, but highlights the need for teaching phonics — or understanding the relationship between letters and sounds. This comes as a large body of scientific research details how we learn to read — and that’s through explicitly sounding out words. For some districts, this would represent a shift away from a “balanced literacy,” a broad-swing approach intended to foster a love of reading that includes phonics but doesn’t prioritize it.
* Tribune | Mayor Johnson calls on state to build migrant shelters outside Chicago: Speaking to reporters after presiding over the City Council meeting, the mayor did not directly answer questions about the fate of the next round of migrants whose 60-day deadline to vacate city-run shelters arrives Feb. 1, with harsh winter weather expected to remain. […] “What the state committed to doing back in November, that process has not moved as quickly as this (60-day) policy will hold,” Johnson said. “This policy was really attached to a larger operation that included … 2,200 beds. That’s what the state of Illinois committed to doing.”
* Sun-Times | Advocates make emotional plea for passage of bill aimed at seizing guns from those accused in domestic violences cases: Families of those killed in domestic violence cases joined lawmakers Wednesday in making an emotional plea for the Illinois General Assembly to act on Karina’s Bill — aimed at removing guns from the hands of abusers — following failed attempts to push the bill through in the fall veto session.
Governor Pritzker will be at the Sweet Maple Café at 9:30 am with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for a breakfast meeting.
* Ope…
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WICS | Darren Bailey’s name recognition could pave way for congressional election upset: “They’re both strong conservatives, they both won within the territory,” said Kent Redfield, a retired political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “This certainly looks competitive.“ In July, a poll showed Bost was up six points on Bailey. A recent internal poll released by Bailey says he’s up 48-44 percent over Bost. While the polls are scarce, Kent Redfield expects a close race, with Bailey cashing in on his name recognition from downstate.
* CNI | State education board to seek $653M increase in upcoming budget year: PreK-12 education spending currently makes up about one-fifth of the state’s entire General Revenue Fund budget. The proposed increase, if approved, would bring the state’s total GRF spending on public education to just over $11 billion.
* WCIA | Pritzker pauses cuts to care for developmentally disabled: A spokesperson for the Pritzker administration confirmed the cuts will not go into effect this fiscal year. The state already delayed the implementation of the cuts multiple times. The current fiscal year will end on July 1st.
* Chronicle | Four vie in 53rd State Senate GOP primary after challenge overturned: The 53rd State Senate District GOP primary ballot will remain crowded after Gridely businessman and farmer Mike Kirkton survived a challenge to his nominating petitions by the slimmest of margins earlier this month.
* WTTW | ‘Night and Day’ Transformation: Arnold Randall is Leaving Cook County Forest Preserves in Better Shape Than He Found Them: In his final days as general superintendent, Randall spoke with WTTW News about his legacy, how the forest preserves will maintain its positive trajectory and what lured him to move on from what he called “the best job I’ve ever had.”
* Daily Herald | Former Mount Prospect mayor has medical scare at state of village address: She later texted Mayor Paul Hoefert, telling him that doctors attributed the episode to dehydration. “And apparently she has COVID,” Hoefert added. Juracek said in a text Wednesday evening that she had no idea she had COVID until she was tested at the hospital. She said she is “drinking lots of homemade turkey soup.”
* Sun-Times | Johnson dodges embarrassing defeat by calling off second vote to reject police arbitration: Johnson wanted the Council to reject that ruling again. His allies filed notice of their intention to seek that vote with the city clerk’s office. The city’s longtime labor negotiator Jim Franczek even told a Circuit Court judge hearing a lawsuit filed by the Fraternal Order of Police that the second vote would be held at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. But Johnson had a problem. He needed two-thirds of the Council — 34 members — to vote to immediately consider the matter because it had not been before a committee.
* Crain’s | City Council unanimously approves Ciere Boatright as planning commissioner: Boatright has pledged to speed up the city’s development approval process to “get far more shovels in the ground and cut more ribbons” and has received praise from the real estate community and members of the council since taking the job on an interim basis last year.
* Sun-Times | City analyst paid $123k a year to do nothing blames power grab by Ald. Jason Ervin: “He took all my credentials and access away. I would love to come to work. I wasn’t allowed to come to work,” Williams, 50, said Wednesday. “I enjoyed what I was doing. It was one of the best opportunities I ever had. I was denied access to come to work. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come to work. I couldn’t come to work,” he said.
* Block Club | Obama Foundation Gives $500K To Chicago Groups Supporting Girls’ Health, Education And More: The money will be spent to boost programs like free therapy, mentorship, education for refugees, a performance at the Harris Theater and more. All are available to and center young women.
* Daily Herald | DuPage County hires new federal lobbyist: The county will pay McGuireWoods Consulting $8,000 a month or $96,000 total under a one-year contract starting Feb. 1. The board awarded the contract after several Republican members raised questions earlier this month about the cost and whether the federal lobbyist would work across party lines.
* CBS | 2 Chicago nonprofits serving the disabled finally get handicapped parking: Their quest to get handicapped parking in front of their building is finally over. It started more than two years ago with phone calls and letters - and no action - until now. If city signage brightens your day, there’s got to be a story behind it.
* Block Club | Skylark Employees Buy Popular Pilsen Dive Bar, And They’re Keeping It The Same: The new owners are planning to celebrate with a “Grand Staying The Same” party 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at the bar, 2149 S. Halsted St. There will be limited edition Skylark apparel available for purchase, along with its typical and well-loved menu.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Oops…
…Adding… Welp…
* Politico…
— NEW AD: The Bring Chicago Home campaign is launching its first ad encouraging voters to check yes for the Ballot Measure 1. The ad features all the buzz words that voters might be drawn to, including “cutting taxes” and “ensuring the rich pay their fair share.” And it addresses the main point: helping homeless get out of the cold and into homes. That ad has already started appearing on Hulu, YouTube and other digital platforms. Watch it here
— TWO-FER: Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Bill Foster (IL-11) are scheduled to take part in a combined candidate forum along with primary challengers to their reelection bids. Details here
— Vidal Vasquez will remain on the ballot for the Democratic primary in the 21st House District, according to the Board of Elections. He’s challenging incumbent state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid.
* Rockford Register Star…
Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center officials have implemented a new disciplinary system, made major staffing changes, hired therapists and altered policies in the wake of an alarming June inspection that raised concerns about excessive confinement.
Some of the measures had already been in progress and others were accelerated by the annual audit conducted by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.
It found youth detainees at the 48-bed Winnebago County facility in Rockford at 5350 Northrock Drive were locked in their cells for hours at a time, many weren’t getting access to required education and that some had access to water cut off when misbehaving juveniles flooded their rooms.
Although the Department of Juvenile Justice has no authority to enforce its findings, 17th Circuit Court Director of Court Services Debbie Jarvis said it was taken seriously.
Some corrections — like ending the practice of shutting off water to cells of misbehaving youth who clogged their toilets with sheets, clothes or books — were taken in response to the report.
* Tribune…
If you stop by the Field Museum right now and find yourself in the Alsdorf Hall of Northwest Coast and Arctic Peoples, or the Robert R. McCormick Halls of the Ancient Americas, you will notice something about the display cases: Several are covered up.
That in itself is not unusual — who hasn’t been to a museum and seen a display case displaying nothing? What’s unusual is the reason: On Jan. 12, federal regulations concerning the exhibition and study of Native American remains and sacred artifacts were tightened, to bring teeth and clarity to a set of rules that languished for decades.
The revised regulations are sweeping: They demand museums speed up the process of repatriating Native American “human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony,” establishing ownership and lineage between museum collections and Native American descendants, returning anything requested. Museums must update their inventories of Native American remains and funerary objects within five years. Also, curators can no longer categorize such items as “culturally unidentifiable,” thereby holding them indefinitely. Tribal knowledge and traditions must be deferred to.
Moreover, institutions must get “free, prior and informed consent” from Native tribes before the exhibition or research of sacred artifacts. According to a Field Museum statement, the covered displays hold “cultural items that could be subject to these regulations,” and will stay covered “pending consultation with the represented (tribal) communities.” (The Field also noted it does not have any human remains on display.)
* Here’s the rest…
* McLean Chronicle | Decatur’s Deering versus Bloomington’s Erickson in 88th House primary: With the district a solidly red enclave politically, the primary election will determine the next state representative, as no Democrat filed nominating petitions. Deering is endorsed by the retiring Caulkins, and Erickson is endorsed by retired State Sen. Dan Brady, a longtime political force in the Bloomington-Normal area.
* WBEZ | Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers: Invasive carp is shorthand for a family of giant fish that can out-eat, out-grow and out-reproduce native fish. In parts of the Illinois river, researchers say there’s more carp than anywhere else on the planet. The furthest upstream populations of the carp are approximately 14 miles downstream. But Whitney and other scientists worry that there’s increasingly an opportunity for the carp to make it through and disrupt the food web inside the Great Lakes. Carp could decimate the entire recreational and commercial fishing industry that has sprung up around the lakes that’s valued at $7 billion annually.
* Post-Tribune | BP tank leak spreads chemical odor across Indiana, Illinois communities: In the days following the incident, residents of nearby communities in Indiana and Illinois — including Crete, Steger, Tinley Park, Oak Forest and Posen — took to social media and contacted 911 to complain of an odor they described as strong and gas-like.
* Crain’s | Measure to ban natural gas in new buildings stumbles out of the gate: Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, sent the ordinance to the Rules Committee when it was introduced, meaning the supporters of the measure will have to take a vote to redirect it to a joint-committee of the Environmental Protection Committee and Zoning Committee where it can be put up for a vote.
* Tribune | National Endowment for the Arts gives more than $1.6 million in grants for art projects in Illinois: The grants include funding for art projects, research awards, literature fellowships, and Challenge America grants, which seek to reach historically underserved communities.
* WSPY | Sugar Grove Trustee Gets Deal from Kane State’s Attorney for Forgery Charges: Under the deal, Michels will only have to pay just over $1,500 in fines, complete a theft awareness program, and avoid arrest. If he abides by the agreement, which includes conditions such as not breaking any Illinois laws, the state’s attorney’s office will dismiss charges against him. The deal also appeared to stipulate Community Service to be performed. No documents were found in the court records explaining the extent of the community service. WSPY asked the Kane County States Attorney for comment on what the extent of community service would be and the Kane County States Attorney’s Office refused to respond.
* DE | The state of SIU’s buildings a cause for concern: The maintenance log, obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, shows the types of concerns that have prompted students and faculty to call campus maintenance. They include dozens of instances of plumbing troubles, water damage, heating and cooling issues, mold, insects and more spanning from 2019 to 2022. In total, facilities management fielded 16,384 different requests over that time frame.
* Block Club | Residents Of Humboldt Park Tent Encampment Are Finding Homes, But More Help Is Needed: Officials with the city’s Department of Family & Support Services and the Department of Housing have hosted three accelerated moving events since May to get residents enrolled in a rapid rehousing program, leaders said. Fifty-six people have found permanent housing, and another 30 are finding new apartments or are in negotiations with providers, city officials said at a community meeting this month hosted by Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th).
* Shaw Local | Marengo, Harvard enact laws to deter surprise migrant drop-offs: The ordinance is about ensuring safety, and is not meant to be punitive, city leaders said. “The city of Marengo hasn’t had any issues in regard to this, but we want to be prepared just in case,” Radcliffe said. “Better safe than sorry. We don’t envision getting this, but just in case, we have something in place to cover this.”
* Sun-Times | Council’s Budget Committee chair wants to fire head of financial analysis office: The stand-off began on July 14, when Williams said he was summoned to Ervin’s office and told the newly-appointed Budget chair was “going in a different direction and I’m putting you on administrative leave” with pay. “He took all my credentials and access away. I would love to come to work. I wasn’t allowed to come to work,” Williams, 50, said Wednesday.
* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect resumes effort to shut down source of bad odors: Prestige Feed Products, 431 Lakeview Court, recently installed equipment intended to mitigate odors coming from the factory. But village attorney Allen Wall told Cook County Judge Clare Quish that neighboring businesses and residents continue to file complaints. The village has requested a preliminary injunction requiring Prestige to halt operations until it can get the odors under control.
* Tribune | All things grow: Justin Peck is transforming Sufjan Stevens’ album into ‘Illinoise,’ a different kind of stage musical: Somewhere after the turn of the millennium, Stevens (who declined to be interviewed for this piece) came up with the idea of recording an album for every state in the union — an organizing principal, you might say, akin to August Wilson writing a play for every decade in the 20th century. But he only ever recorded two entries in his Fifty States project, later dismissing the whole enterprise: “Michigan,” a 2003 album with tracks about Detroit and the Upper Peninsula, but also Flint, Romulus (home of the Detroit airport) and Holland (Stevens went to Hope College). Not that he restricted himself to cities: there’s also “Wolverine” and the melancholic “Vito’s Ordination Song” about a friend of his, the Rev. Thomas Vito Aiuto, who became a minister.
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How’s that ‘abundance’ talk working out?
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition report last June…
Goal #1: Strengthen and invest in Chicago’s infrastructure to be inclusive of migrant and refugee communities to make Chicago a true Welcoming City.
VISION:
Chicago leads the nation in ensuring that all immigrants regardless of race, color, language, gender, status, or disability feel safe, invested in, and cared for. Through deep collaboration, alignment, and relationship building across communities, the city, and other layers of government, Chicagoans are able to live in abundance by having all their needs met regardless of their language, race, color, gender, or immigration status.
The word “abundance” was tossed around a lot before the election.
* December 14th…
About 300 migrants who have been waiting for shelter are expected to move into the former convent and one of the former school buildings on the St. Bartholomew campus at Addison Street and Lavergne Avenue. […]
“St. Bartholomew’s was the first that we landed on primarily because it was the quickest,” [Eric Wollan, the chief capital assets officer in the archdiocese’s real estate department] said. “Our hope is that we’ll be in a position to offer more sites.”
* Local Ald. Ruth Cruz put in the work to help make it all happen…
Cruz said that she talked with 16th District commander Heather Daniel and that the commander said the district already had experience dealing with migrant housing at Wright. She said the commander told her that safety for the neighborhood and migrants should not to be a problem.
Cruz said that she has also inquired out about medical and other resources from the county for the migrants and talked to the Chicago Public Schools, which she said expressed confidence migrant children could be brought into area schools without negatively impacting resources for existing students.
Cruz plans to distribute fliers explaining the housing plan to area homes and hold an informational session for residents.
And then Mayor Brandon Johnson pulled the rug out from under the plan (and his own transition report) when he confirmed this month that the city will not stand up any more shelters.
* The mayor’s decision to kill a shelter which was literally days away from opening and his decision not to open any new shelters has had some consequences, of course. Just one example…
Residents who live near a makeshift shelter for migrants in Edgewater are pushing back against the city about asylum-seekers being housed in their neighborhood for six months. […]
Pat Sharkey, a convener of the Coalition of Edgewater Block Clubs and Residents’ Associations, helped author the report for the city and said she plans to send it to a handful of officials Wednesday morning. Sharkey said the city closed 54 classes and programs at the armory when it decided to house migrants. 18 were relocated to other parks.
But Sharkey said many residents can’t or don’t want to go elsewhere in the city for their park programming — sports such as basketball, floor hockey and gymnastics. She said it has significantly affected families in her community. The study shows that enrollment in programs has decreased by 73%.
“There were 1,200 people using the armory in fall of 2022 and there are no classes being held there now,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
And just wait until April, when the city will exhaust its appropriations authority because the mayor deliberately underfunded migrant-related spending.
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Just FYI
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The usual suspects have really been out in force this week…
The replies are bristling with people blaming the killer’s release on the SAFE-T Act. And that’s just a very tiny taste of what’s out there.
The facts are that Nance was released on cash bail last year, before cash bail was formally eliminated in September. And he was able to bail out in a county where State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow led the charge against eliminating cash bail and warned, “The intent of this law is to destroy the criminal justice system in Illinois.”
* To the Joliet Herald-News…
Although a Will County judge had denied the reduction of a $100,000 bond on assault and weapons charges last year for a Joliet man recently linked to the fatal shooting of eight people, someone identifying herself as his sister came up with the money to free him from jail, court records show.
On Jan. 26, 2023, Romeo Nance, 23, of Joliet, was taken to the Will County jail on a $100,000 bond warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Those charges concerned a Jan. 3, 2023, incident unrelated to the recent deaths linked to Nance. On Monday, authorities said Nance was a suspect in the shooting deaths of eight people in the Joliet area and a non-fatal shooting of a ninth person.
Nance shot and killed himself in Texas following a confrontation with law enforcement there, according to Joliet police officials.
Under the SAFE-T Act, aggravated discharge of a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon are all detainable offenses.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* HB4567 from Rep. Anne Stava-Murray…
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Includes in offense of threatening a public official or human service provider, threatening a library employee. Provides that the threat to a public official, human service provider, or library employee includes a threat made electronically or via social media. Defines “library employee”. In the offense of threatening a public official, human service provider, or library employee, includes in the definition of “public official” an employee of any State of Illinois constitutional office, State agency, or the General Assembly. Provides that the offense of disorderly conduct includes transmitting or causing to be transmitted threats or false reports electronically or via social media. Provides that disorderly conduct includes the knowing transmission of or causing to be transmitted in any manner, including electronically or via social media, a lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene message to a public official. Provides that making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat includes making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat by any means of communication, including electronically or via social media. Makes other changes.
* WIFR…
House Bill 4431 would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code, ending requirements for drivers over the age of 75 to retake a driving test to renew their driver’s license.
According to data from the National Safety Council, after age 34 the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreases as the age of the driver increases.
While many may have preconceived notions about older drivers causing more car accidents, State Representative Jeff Keicher says the facts show seniors are actually the safest drivers on the road.
“Illinois is the only state in the United States that does this, I think it’s time we trust our seniors,” Keicher said.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2022, 24.39 out of every 1,000 Illinois drivers over the age of 75 have gotten in a crash, the lowest crash rate for every range of drivers between 16 and 69 years old.
* WLPO…
Municipalities would be given back their voice in the placement of solar farms under a new measure sponsored by State Senator Sue Rezin.
The Morris Republican has introduced a bill allowing cities, towns and villages to weigh in on the placement of solar-energy facilities in unincorporated areas that are within three miles of town.
Rezin says she’s backing the bill to help fix a mistake she says was made in the fall. That’s when another bill was pushed through the veto session. That measure allows the state to automatically approve placement of a wind or solar project, provided it meets what Rezin says are watered-down site requirements. While the law does allow cities to approve or deny nearby wind farms, it doesn’t allow an official local voice over the placement of solar farms.
Rezin’s new proposal is waiting to be assigned to a Senate Committee for consideration in Springfield.
* Lake & McHenry County Scanner…
A local lawmaker has filed a bill to ban people from possessing African serval cats after one escaped from its owners in a Vernon Hills neighborhood in November and died when it was captured.
Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) introduced the legislation during the first week of the 2024 legislative session.
Didech said Tuesday the bill proposes a ban on the possession of African serval cats throughout Illinois. […]
State law currently prohibits individuals from possessing lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots, jaguars, cheetahs, margay, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, jaguarundis, bears, hyenas, wolves, coyotes and nonhuman primates.
* HB4566 from Rep. Camille Lilly…
Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Creates the Diversity and Inclusion in Business Organizations Leadership Task Force within the Office of the Secretary of State. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to identify ways to increase diversity in business organization leadership and to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to achieve that goal. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 2026. Sets forth provisions concerning duties, membership, and administrative support. Repeals the provision that creates the Task Force and dissolves the Task Force on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
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Asylum-seeker coverage roundup
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Injustice Watch…
A monthslong feud between a Woodlawn landlord and his tenants over allegations of unlivable conditions reached a boiling point last week, when a skeptical judge threatened to jail tenants he found to be lying. […]
“This is a nightmare,” said one tenant, a 23-year-old whose first name is Esdras. His family moved to the $1,827-per-month apartment in September as part of a state-sponsored emergency rental program for asylum-seekers. […]
Chicago housing advocates interviewed by Injustice Watch say they know of other instances in which newly arrived asylum-seekers were housed in buildings the city has taken to housing court for building code violations.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Human Services, one of two agencies administering the program, did not respond to an Injustice Watch question about why the state would place a family in a building being sued by the city for poor conditions.
…Adding… From the Illinois Department of Human Services…
The rental assistance program has a call center which tenants/landlords can access to ask questions or bring up issues with the program. Tenants also have access to legal aid clinics and/or community agencies that can help tenants with any apartment issues. Please note that all units are viewed by tenants prior to moving in and services are connected prior to move-in. Any issues brought to our attention are investigated and properly addressed.
* Press release…
Today, the City of Chicago and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) are announcing the conclusion of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find a new food service provider for city-run shelters for New Arrivals. DFSS is pleased to announce that two local agencies, Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish, were selected.
Seventy-Seven Communities will serve as the food provider for shelters in the North Region of Chicago and 14 Parish will serve as the food provider for the New Arrivals shelters in the South Region. Both local agencies have participated in a rigorous and multi-step request for proposal review and evaluation process. They each were able to demonstrate their understanding of the target population and the ability to meet logistical needs of this mission as well as preparation and delivery capacities.
“We know that the New Arrivals Mission is very complex and being able to provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant meals at a time when we know people need our help the most is an important part of this work,” said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze.
Seventy-Seven Communities has been delivering quality meals around Chicagoland for decades and has experience creating specific menus for groups with complex needs, such as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. […]
The goals of this RFP were to increase food quality for all New Arrivals shelters and to decrease the cost of the Meals Program for the City. Both Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish have demonstrated that they can provide high quality and culturally congruent meal service to all shelters for $15-$17 per person per day. This is a significant decrease from the $21-$23 the City has been spending on food per person per day prior to this contract. Additionally, both agencies have demonstrated that they have many partnerships with local and minority-owned restaurants, including local Venezuelan restaurants, who will be assisting in creating menus and preparing food that fit both the nutritious and cultural needs of shelter residents.
* ABC Chicago…
North Side residents plan to be at City Hall for Wednesday’s Council meeting, as they push for a migrant shelter to be returned to the community. […]
“It is hard for us to repurpose space, but it’s the time we’re living in now where we need to repurpose space,” [Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights] Beatriz Ponce de Leon said back in July.
At that time, the city promised to reevaluate in six months, which will be on Feb. 1. […]
Edgewater residents are asking the Chicago Park District once again to make space for community programs and migrants inside the Broadway Armory.
“Nobody wants anybody out on the street,” [block club President Pat Sharkey] said. “But what we do want is a commitment for a date by which they will have unwound this facility and we can restart park programs.”
* Oak Park Journal…
Oak Park’s village board of trustees unanimously approved the submission of a grant application for more than $1.94 million to provide aid to asylum seekers in the village.
Of that, $11 million in Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seekers Services funds is available to exclusively to municipalities outside of Chicago that such people, according to an Illinois Department of Human Services news release. The funds cannot be used, however, to transport the migrants to another municipality. […]
An approval of this grant funding would be expected within five days, said Kira Tchang, human resources director and assistant village manager. Village staff intends to submit the application Wednesday.
City of Chicago officials have said it would be best for migrants in Oak Park to remain where they are rather than being transported to Chicago’s “landing zone,” Tchang said.
“Last time we spoke with representatives from Chicago, they indicated that shelters were full,” she said.
* Shaw Local…
La Salle County’s Committee on Appointment and Legislation and Rules is expected to review the county’s migrant resolution 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.
The Insurance Trust Committee discussed the resolution Jan. 18 and the county’s insurance consultants said they saw no red flags with the resolution, which added language to assist migrants in a humanitarian manner.
The La Salle County Board began discussion Jan. 11 on coming up with a plan if a bus initially en route to Chicago were to abandon migrants within the county, as had occurred recently in suburbs around Chicago. At this time, there have not been any migrants dropped off by buses in La Salle County.
A resolution modeled after Grundy County was sent from the full County Board on Jan. 11 to the Committee on Appointment, Legislation and Rules, which met Jan. 16 and decided to send the item to the Insurance Trust Committee to make sure the county was not overlooking any liability.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Alaska Airlines CEO: We found ‘many’ loose bolts on our Max 9 planes. NBC…
- The CEO’s interview was the first since a door plug on an Alaska Airlines-owned 737 MAX 9 carrying 177 people lost a door plug in the skies over Oregon during a flight to California on Jan. 5, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.
- Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said that a new in-house inspection of the Boeing model in the fleet has uncovered that “many” of the planes had loose bolts.
- United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in an interview he is contemplating a future for its fleet without the Boeing 737 Max 10, a newer version of the jet.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* CNI | Pritzker touts climate investments despite renewables lagging state goals: But the Illinois Power Agency – which handles energy procurement for the state’s utilities – reports that the state is lagging far behind its goals. In its current long-term plan for renewable purchasing, which was published in May, the agency projected that by the 2025 delivery year, only 8.1 percent of electricity will come from sources that qualify as renewable under state law. “Achieving these goals would require a substantial increase in new renewable energy generation,” according to the agency’s report.
* Tribune | Paul Vallas facing $10,500 fine from city’s ethics board: The board found Vallas’ campaign committee accepted a $5,000 contribution from an unnamed entity, over and above the $1,500 cap on contributions to candidates for city office, and issued the fine this week. Asked about the fine, Vallas said he had not yet heard from the board about it, and that he donated past excess contributions to charity rather than refunding them to the donor.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WLPO | Candidates To Replace Yednock In Springfield Square Off Tonight At IVCC: Those expected to give their stances this evening include: Democrats Amy Briel of Ottawa; Cohen Barnes of DeKalb; and Carolyn Zasada also of DeKalb. Republicans going after the House seat are Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle.
* Gov Pritzker, Sens Durbin and Duckworth | Illinois has the tools and talent to power America’s next stage of AI: Leading the discovery of quantum supercomputing and next-generation AI will be what keeps America competitive on the global stage. The future strength of our economy depends on America leading and maximizing these discoveries.
* WTTW | Illinois Officials Look to ‘Knock the Dominoes Down’ and Ban Some Additives, Dye Used in Ultra-Processed Foods: State Sen. Willie Preston has a goal: To ensure that when Illinois residents go to the grocery store, they can be confident they’re not buying food “laced with poison.” But that description doesn’t sit well with Illinois manufacturers who say the ingredients are safe. Preston, a Chicago Democrat, is the sponsor of a proposal (SB2637) that would ban a handful of common additives in food made and sold in Illinois starting in 2027.
* WBEZ | Chicago charter schools are in a fight for a future in the city: All are guaranteed to be renewed when the board votes on Thursday because there’s a ban on closing schools in Chicago until next year. But most have fought for new deals to stay open up to another 10 years, arguing that would offer stability for their students. Instead, Chicago Public Schools staff are recommending four years or less for all of them, continuing a trend in recent years of short contact renewals.
* WTTW | Battle Begins to Ban Natural Gas in New Chicago Homes and Businesses to Fight Climate Change: Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward), the chair of the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee, said the proposal, dubbed the Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance, was “the first step in a managed, planned process to move away from dirty, expensive gas and embrace a cheaper, cleaner energy future for all Chicagoans.”
* Crain’s | O’Hare slipped further behind Atlanta airport last year: Hartsfield-Jackson handled the most flights last year, at 775,818, according to new data from the Federal Aviation Administration. O’Hare was No. 2 at 720,582. But the distance between them is growing: Hartsfield-Jackson had 8% more flights last year than O’Hare, up from a 2% gap in 2022, according to FAA data. A year ago, O’Hare appeared to be closing the gap. A big reason for the change is that fewer but bigger planes are flying in and out of O’Hare.
* Crain’s | Wrigley Field sportsbook still awaiting gambling approval: report: “The state moves a lot more slowly than we hoped, but there are signs that they’re moving and we’ll get the license soon,” Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney told the Tribune. “Their inquiries have nothing to do with our connection to a baseball stadium.”
* South Side Weekly | WVON Celebrates Sixty Years Of Community-Driven Content: station began its journey in 1963 when it was purchased by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess of Chess Records—the legendary record label that distributed the work of Chicago’s great blues musicians. WVON was born as a music station featuring jazz, blues, gospel, and more. However, since its original purchase, the station has gone through changes in ownership, frequency, and format.
* RFT | St. Louis Slumlord Got Federal COVID Relief Funds, Tenants Say: On and off since 2014, Danielle Hopkins has rented from Dara Daugherty, the St. Louis slumlord who was hit last week with a lawsuit from the city accusing her of operating “illegal rooming houses” in 39 condemned houses across south city.
* WCBU | DCFS bringing a push to expand its workforce to central Illinois event: Stephanie Ward, a DCFS employment recruiter, says the agency’s staffing level is already the highest it’s been in more than 15 years. “We have over 3,400 employees currently. But we’re constantly seeking new employees to work in the central Illinois area in addition to statewide in Illinois,” Ward said. “There will always be a need for investigators and caseworkers and support staff, so we’re always looking for new employees.”
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Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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