Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2024

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

The developer working with the White Sox to build a new stadium in the South Loop said Monday he is trying to forge a “financing partnership” with the Bears that could pave the way for Chicago to build two new stadiums at the same time.

“Wouldn’t it be unbelievable for our city if you were to see two amazing facilities for these great sports teams built at once?” said Curt Bailey, president of Related Midwest, which oversees the vacant 62-acre site known as “The 78,” where the new Sox ballpark would be built.

Now, scroll way, way down past the stuff they’ve already floated…

Pressed on where the money for both stadiums would come from, Bailey would only say, “We’re working on it.”

How about getting back to us when you’ve got that part figured out?

18 Comments

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

Big dollars also figure to flow into the Democratic race to replace outgoing state Rep. Kelly Burke in the 36th House district, which touches Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood but mostly encompasses the southwest suburbs from south suburban Evergreen Park to Palos Hills. Burke, who is also the mayor of Evergreen Park, opted against running for an eighth term in the House after recovering from colon cancer.

In another contest pitting establishment Democrats against a drive from the party’s left flank, Burke has endorsed attorney and Palos Township Democratic Organization founder Rick Ryan over Sonia Khalil, a Markham city worker and board member of the Arab American Democratic Club, which was founded by her father.

Both candidates said protecting women’s reproductive rights is the top issue in the race, though Ryan was against abortion rights when he ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2000.

Ryan, 57, said his view on the issue changed shortly after that race. But Khalil, 34, has hammered Ryan over his previous stance, declaring herself “the only candidate who is pro-choice” in the reliably blue district.

* Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Innovate Illinois announced $680 million in combined cash match and strategic investments from public and private partners for the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub. iFAB was designated as one of 31 Economic Development Administration (EDA) Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs nationally and recently applied for Phase 2 Implementation Grants that would propel regional growth in technology and solidify Illinois’ position as a leader in biomanufacturing and precision fermentation. The significant cash match indicates a strong backing by stakeholders reflecting the incredible potential for expanding this industry in the region.

“Home to world-class institutions, modernized infrastructure, and first-rate research centers, Illinois is transforming technology, biomanufacturing, and innovation at every turn,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This designation positions Central Illinois to become a global leader in biomanufacturing and precision fermentation over the next decade — bringing economic development and good-paying jobs along with it. I want to congratulate everyone who took the iFab vision and turned it into a world-class, federally designated Tech Hub—you are helping create a better Illinois for all.”

iFAB exemplifies Illinois’ biomanufacturing prowess, with a strategic focus on fermentation as a biomanufacturing tool. iFAB, led by the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 30 other key partners. The project’s ambition is to drive economic growth and innovation for a sustainable future by capitalizing on Illinois’ strength in agricultural production. […]

The project supports a wide range of applications in biomanufacturing, from novel ingredients to sustainable materials, addressing emerging market demand for sustainable products. iFAB’s integrated “lab-to-line” approach will catalyze economic development by positioning Central Illinois as a premier destination for biomanufacturing companies—moving bio-innovation from R&D to full-scale manufacturing.

* Does this mean Mayor Johnson’s finally getting a communications team?…

* KSDK…

Hundreds of shots were fired Saturday in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, and Camp Jackson Fire Station was caught in the middle of it, once again.

Assistant Fire Chief Sharon Davis said she was shaken and frustrated.

“Once or twice is an accident, but after that, they have to know what they’re doing,” she said. […]

“It was literally probably 300 rounds, cars were stopping. There were people that were walking, and they were looking around trying to figure out where to go. The business across the street, they were shutting their bay doors,” she said. […]

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department has been contacted and has not responded with a statement.

* Meanwhile… at McKinley Park Library in the 12th Ward…

* Here’s the rest…

Daily Herald | Suburbs lead in fatal bike, pedestrian collisions as Wheaton crashes prompt school to fundraise for light:

* WTTW | 5 Years After Chicago’s Consent Decree Took Effect, Little Urgency Surrounds Reform Push: CPD has fully met just 6% of the court order’s requirements, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring the city’s compliance with the consent decree released in November. Since the consent decree took effect on March 1, 2019, the monitoring team has billed Chicago taxpayers for more than $15 million through Aug. 31, according to bills analyzed by WTTW News. That team has unrestricted access to CPD officials, facilities and data as the team keeps tabs on efforts to remake the department.

* Center Square | Convicted ex-utility boss wants to pause SEC civil case: Former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore was convicted in May 2023 of bribery-related charges as part of a multi-year scheme to corruptly influence longtime former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation in Springfield. Prosecutors said that the utility paid out $1.3 million in jobs, contracts and payments to associates of Madigan over eight years. […] In the SEC case, Pramaggiore wants to put everything on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides a case focused on the federal bribery statute.

* Sun-Times | In Englewood’s Illinois House 6th District, its incumbent Sonya Harper vs. Joseph Williams: Williams was elected last year to the 7th District Police Council as part of the new community oversight system for the Chicago Police Department. The 34-year-old previously founded Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club providing mentors to students in schools across the South Side. Harper reported raising about $15,000 for her campaign in the last quarter of 2023, with a third of that coming from the CTU PAC. Williams has raised about $7,300.

* Daily Herald | Elgin to provide AI chatbot for residents to engage via text, web chat: The city council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a contract with Citibot.io to provide web and text-based chat services that use the city’s source information. While the information from the chatbot is sourced from the city’s website, Elgin’s chief technology officer Aaron Cosentino acknowledged the site can be difficult to navigate and contains a lot of jargon with which residents might not be familiar.

* Crain’s | Walgreens, in need of a reset, plans a strategic review of its entire operation: Wentworth said Walgreens will evaluate the role of its more than 8,000 retail locations. The company has already embarked on shrinking that footprint as it seeks to optimize the retail segment’s performance. But at the TD Cowen health care conference, Wentworth said while the footprint may shrink, retail remains central to the company’s core strategy, whether it be a traditional pharmacy location or one that also offers health services through something like primary care provider VillageMD, in which Walgreens holds a majority share.

* Sun-Times | Early voting kicks off in all 50 wards; Chicago election officials optimistic about surge in numbers: As of Monday morning, 2,700 residents had voted early for the March 19 presidential primary, Chicago Board of Elections Chairwoman Marisel Hernandez said during a news conference Monday at the city’s downtown supersite. At this point in 2020, only 1,900 Chicago residents had voted in the presidential primary.

* Injustice Watch | A notorious Chicago cop wants to become a Cook County judge: Poulos’ tarnished track record includes two fatal shootings, omitting previous arrests on his application to become a police officer, inappropriate business dealings while he was on an extended leave of absence from the police department, and blocking undocumented domestic violence victims from applying for legal status.

* Crain’s | Johnson to carry on Lightfoot-era plan to revamp LaSalle Street canyon: The mayor has been trying to appease the business community after a rocky start. Just last week he announced plans to boost the Loop that include a Chicago Board of Trade museum. He also gave more than $1 million in grants to six downtown restaurants including the storied Ceres Cafe, where dealers used to flock in the heydays of the city’s trading floors.

* Tribune | UIC to open ‘Arch Madness’ vs. Southern Illinois in Missouri Valley men’s tournament: The Flames (11-20, 4-16) are seeded 11th in “Arch Madness” in their second season as a Valley member and their fourth season under coach Luke Yaklich. Coach Bryan Mullins’ Salukis (19-12, 11-9) are seeded sixth. Tipoff is approximately 8:30 p.m.

* AP | What to know about Super Tuesday and why it matters: This Tuesday, voters in 16 different states and one territory (Get it? “Super” Tuesday.) will be choosing who they want to run for president. Some states are also choosing who should run for governor or senator for their state, and some district attorneys, too.

* ABC Chicago | Nearly 4K women of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority meet in Chicago for central regional conference: Nearly 4,000 members of the organization are expected to attend the conference. The theme is “Soaring in the Chi: Culture. Opulence. Excellence.” The four-day event will include sessions and workshops that “enhance the sorority’s rich legacy of service and sisterhood, including several community events. It’s estimated that the conference will generate approximately $4 million for the local economy.”

* NYT | JetBlue and Spirit Call Off Their $3.8 Billion Merger: A federal judge in Boston blocked the proposed merger on Jan. 16, siding with the Justice Department in determining that the merger would reduce competition and give airlines more leeway to raise ticket prices. The judge, William G. Young of U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, noted that Spirit played a vital role in the market as a low-cost carrier and that travelers would have fewer options if JetBlue absorbed it.

* Fox 2 Now | Centralia, Illinois community college aims to diversify demographic of future welders: “A 300% increase in student welders here at Kaskaskia Community College is something they only hope to expand,” welding student Zoey Cook said. “Starting off in it, you feel intimidated because it is a male-dominated industry.” […] “When I came in, we had about one female welder per class,” Cory Wellen, associate professor of welding at Kaskaskia, shared. “It jumped up to where you’d have about five or six females through the program at the same time.”

* Vox | America has a good model for how to handle immigration: America: Since the Refugee Act of 1980, the United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees. That’s more than any other country, making America’s refugee resettlement program the largest of its kind in the world. That doesn’t mean it’s big enough, and the annual number of people admitted through the program — people fleeing war, persecution, or violence — has fluctuated over the years, especially recently. The Trump administration slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to a historic low of 15,000, while the Biden administration raised it to 125,000. That’s just a small fraction of the world’s total refugee population of 36.4 million, according to the United Nations.

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Kane County chair dispenses with bogeyman claims

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald…

A tide of concern about recent migrant busing into Kane County reached its apex [last] week as residents packed a county board meeting to overflow status with calls to reject any move toward a formal sanctuary county proclamation.

Sanctuary cities are viewed as being welcoming to migrants, including those who make unauthorized border crossings. After waiting two hours to speak, County Board Chair Corinne Pierog told them they were too late.

Kane County already is a sanctuary county, Pierog said. She pointed to state legislation approved in 2017 and signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“The Trust Act made 102 counties in the state of Illinois what you would consider a sanctuary county,” Pierog told the raucous audience. “You are asking if I’m advocating Kane County be a sanctuary county? That was already done by a Republican governor. I cannot undo state law.” […]

Citing a “humanitarian and budgetary catastrophe” for Chicago caused by a migrant influx in recent months, Illinois House Republicans and Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie still have active petitions on their websites calling for the repeal of the act. McCombie and other Republicans have also pushed bills to erase the Trust Act from the books.

* Something that always seems to get lost in the debate are these passages from Rauner’s press release…

The Northern District of Illinois federal court has found that immigration detainer orders from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are illegal. SB 31 reinforces that court ruling. Furthermore, under the TRUST Act, law enforcement shall not stop, arrest, search, detain or continue to detain a person solely due to immigration status. Instead, detainment will require a warrant issued by a judge. The new law will improve connectivity between immigrants and law enforcement, making Illinois safer for all residents. […]

The TRUST Act makes clear that Illinois will be a good partner with the federal government, and law enforcement will continue communicating with federal immigration and law enforcement officials. […]

SB 31 was the result of compromise and negotiations. It is supported by law enforcement, including the Illinois State Police, and immigration groups.

“The TRUST Act does not prohibit state and local law enforcement from working with federal law enforcement, and it does nothing to change law enforcement’s ability to arrest and detain individuals who commit criminal acts and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz said. “No person should fear the police, and everyone in Illinois should feel welcome and safe to contact the police for safety.”

10 Comments

Question of the day

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Cathy Griffith at the Effingham Daily News on the governor’s proposal to repeal the 1 percent grocery tax, all proceeds of which go to local governments…

Now Pritzker is calling for a permanent repeal of the tax without compensation to local governments, which legislators like Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, support.

“I said at the time he put a temporary stop to the sales tax on groceries that we should have stopped it permanently,” Wilhour said. “The penny tax on groceries is punitive for working families, and we should end it in Illinois.”

Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, also supports doing away with the tax but only with compensation.

“He is taking away millions of dollars from local towns, which will need to raise that money in other ways, mostly through an increase in local sales or property taxes,” said Halbrook in his emailed newsletter.

Not mentioned by Rep. Halbrook is that the General Assembly could vote to allow local governments to impose their own grocery taxes…

When it comes to saving municipalities’ finances from the budget hit they would take if the grocery tax is wiped out, Pritzker said his as-yet-to-be-formally-introduced plan has another component: giving municipalities the option to impose their own sales tax on groceries.

“If they want to impose a grocery tax on their local residents, they should be able to go do that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, I wouldn’t do it locally. Having said that, I understand the need for the dollar, and if they feel like they need them they should think about imposing that tax on their own.”

The IML now says the tax raises about $325 million.

* The Question: Should the state budget reimburse municipalities for lost revenues from the tax’s elimination, or should local governments be given the ability to impose the tax on their own? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.

38 Comments

A closer look at the governor’s pension proposals

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Gov. JB Pritzker proposed some changes to the state’s pension system during his budget/State of the State speech last month that will likely please the New York City-based bond rating agencies by giving them something they want, as well as his fellow Democrats by freeing up some money to spend on other things.

Every time the state’s credit is rated, the agencies ding Illinois’ notorious pension payment “ramp” devised in the previous century for only reaching a 90 percent funding level by 2045, instead of the widely adopted 100 percent. So, Pritzker proposed bringing the state to 100 percent funding three years later, in 2048.

To do that, the governor wants to take half the annual budget savings achieved after paying off two big state bonds and use it to pay down pension debt.

For instance, in 2017, $6 billion in general obligation bonds were issued to pay off a portion of the state’s budget impasse backlog. The state is paying $500 million a year on those bonds, which will be retired in six years. When that’s retired, $250 million a year would be devoted to the pension debt.

The state is also still paying off a $10 billion pension funding bond from 2003, which won’t be retired for another nine years. “Increasing the contributions in fiscal years 2030 through 2040 will help pay down the State’s pension debt more quickly and will save taxpayers an estimated $5.1 billion by fiscal year 2045,” an internal administration document claims. That’s well more than $200 million a year on average.

This is not a new idea, by the way. The state put a much smaller but similar debt-related plan into Senate Bill 1, the pension reform bill that was ultimately struck down as unconstitutional because it reduced pension benefits.

One benefit of this idea is more available cash. The governor’s office predicts that the annual compounded pension payment increase will be reduced from the current 2.6 percent rate to 1.85 percent. That’ll free up money to spend on other things.

A problem the state will face as it gets closer to the 2045 end date is that short-term stock market fluctuations will have to be made up in ever-briefer periods of time.

Right now, if the stock market tanks, the lost revenue can be made up over the next 21 years, so the cost can be spread out. But the closer we get to the end, the more expensive it will be to deal with negative market fluctuations.

Several states use what are called “fixed-length amortization strips.” Yeah, that one stumped me, too, but I checked in with former Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick, who is a bit of a pension geek, and with Governor’s Office of Management & Budget Director Alexis Sturm.

From what I gathered, if the market tanks, then catching up with that year’s required pension payment will be confined to a “strip” of funding that could extend well beyond 2045, or 2048. The same but opposite thing would happen if the market over-performs. The idea is to manage volatility and prevent spiking payments to the pension systems as well as big payment reductions.

Now, some will look at all this and say that it’s just a fancy way to reamortize the pension debt (“kicking the can”) without actually saying so. But former Rep. Batinick doesn’t see it that way.

“Current law may create situations where the annual payment is volatile due to short-term market conditions,” the Republican said. “Basing payments on a longer timeline makes sense.”

However, the governor also wants pension funds with members who don’t receive Social Security benefits (mainly in the Teachers Retirement System and the University Retirement System) to review Tier 2 pension benefits to see if they violate federal law, as many have suspected since the legislature passed the reform. That could require more state spending, as the systems find out if their benefits are comparable to Social Security’s benefits, as required by the feds.

On the broader pension issue, former Rep. Batinick had this to say: “When it comes to state pensions, both Republicans and Democrats need to look in the mirror and admit a hard truth. Republicans need to realize that while pensions are still a big line item in the budget, the problem is getting better, not worse. Pension costs are declining as a percentage of the budget. We are healing. Democrats need to realize that much of the money that has been available for new spending the last few years has come from that healing, not budget magic.”

13 Comments

US Supreme Court: Trump restored to Illinois ballot (Updated)

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rick Pearson…

Click here for the full SCOTUS ruling.

* AP…

The justices ruled a day before the Super Tuesday primaries that states, without action from Congress first, cannot invoke a post-Civil War constitutional provision to keep presidential candidates from appearing on ballots.

The outcome ends efforts in Colorado, Illinois, Maine and elsewhere to kick Trump, the front-runner for his party’s nomination, off the ballot because of his attempts to undo his loss in the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, culminating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. […]

Trump had been kicked off the ballots in Colorado, Maine and Illinois, but all three rulings were on hold awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision. […]

Conservative and liberal justices questioned the case against Trump. Their main concern was whether Congress must act before states can invoke the 14th Amendment. There also were questions about whether the president is covered by the provision.

* Governor Pritzker this weekend…

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: "We want [Trump] on the ballot, frankly, because he's a detriment to Republicans across the United States…" https://t.co/wNTnXTb0Du

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) March 4, 2024

…Adding…Pritzker was asked today about his thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling…

I’m an attorney, but I am not a constitutional law expert. I will say that as I have said before, this is a matter for the courts to decide. That seems like they’ve made that decision, although they made it just on the Colorado determination. But I think it will apply to Illinois.

As I have said publicly, my view is that we will beat him at the ballot box. There’s no reason why, you know, politically, someone should be thrown off the ballot. Having said that, there may be a constitutional reason. And once again, I wouldn’t know Opine about that.

We’re gonna win here in Illinois and beat Donald Trump. And I think I said yesterday, or the day before, I think it will help Democrats that he’s on the ballot.

26 Comments

It’s just a bill

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Center Square…

The Illinois Association of County Clerks said House Bill 4709 would make it more difficult to find polling places. The bill would allow school boards to deny county clerks access to public school buildings for use as polling places.

State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, introduced HB4709 that would amend the current state statute that says if a county board chooses a school to be a polling place, then the school district must make the school available. The measure was assigned to the House Ethics and Elections Committee Wednesday with a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

If passed, the school board would be able to deny a county board. Gretchen DeJaynes, Illinois Association of County Clerks former legislative chair and McDonough County Clerk, said it has been a godsend for clerks to use schools because they are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. […]

Lakeview Junior High school is used as a polling place and Superintendent Andrew Wise said vote-by-mail numbers continue to increase. He said there are plenty of public buildings besides schools the county can use.

* Capitol News Illinois…

A bill pending in the General Assembly this year would give back roughly 1,500 acres of park land in DeKalb County to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. That tribe once occupied much of the Great Lakes region but was forcibly removed in the 19th century and is now headquartered in northeast Kansas. […]

The land in question makes up what is now Shabbona Lake State Park, located about 30 miles west of Aurora on U.S. Highway 30. The park is named after Chief Shab-eh-nay of the Prairie Band Potawatomi, a direct ancestor of Rupnick. […]

Chief Shab-eh-nay and about 20 to 30 other members of his extended family stayed behind on their land in Illinois. That is, until about 1850, when Shab-eh-nay took a trip west to check in with the rest of the tribe in Kansas to make sure they were settling in. […]

“Once he got back here (to Illinois), that’s when he discovered that people were living in his house,” Rupnick said. “They actually picked up his house and moved it to another location, and people were living in it. He tried to fight that through the court systems. They told him that he had abandoned his land, that the General Land Office had sold all of his land because he abandoned it. And they allowed the settlers and whoever else to live there.” […]

In recent years, Rupnick said, the tribe has purchased 128 acres and two homes on the original reservation, and they are seeking to acquire the rest of the property through a combination of state and federal legislation.

* Sen. Natalie Toro…

As a Chicagoan, State Senator Natalie Toro frequently bikes to and from work, home and businesses in the community. From these two wheels, she has noticed a glaring need for transportation plans to prioritize the safety of cyclists and introduced legislation to better describe safety features of existing bike paths and ensure cyclists are prioritized in future transportation plans.

“It can be jarring to follow a designated bike lane and then feel the rush of cars driving past you. Some lanes are shared with traffic or are not as separated as they appeared from routing services,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “My legislation will establish clear classes of bike lanes to avoid confusion for cyclists choosing routes they feel comfortable with.”

Senate Bill 3202 would allow cities and counties to create bicycle transportation plans. These plans may include estimating the number of cyclists coming through the area, allowing planners and developers to use a data-informed approach when determining the number of bike lanes needed and potential new routes. Additionally, Toro’s bill would create four different classifications of bikeways — exclusive, shared, semi-exclusive or completely separate from motorists and pedestrians. Local governments will be required to include maps of the existing bikeways and their classifications in the transportation plans, allowing cyclists to make informed decisions on the routes they take. […]

Senate Bill 3202 could be heard in the Senate Transportation committee as early as next week.

* Press release…

On Tuesday, March 5 at 11:30 a.m., Illinois State Senator Laura Ellman (District 21) and State Representative Anna Moeller (District 43), along with public health experts, environmental advocates and impacted community members, will hold a press conference to rally public support for their plan to protect Illinois waters after the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned decades of federal clean water protections.

Illinois waterways and wetlands are now at risk from pollution and increased flooding unless the state takes action. Sen. Ellman and Rep. Moeller are introducing companion legislation (SB3669/HB5386) to ensure Illinoisans’ access to clean drinking water and protect wetlands so they can mitigate flooding across the state.

* Sun-Times…

It’s no coincidence that voters say they don’t have access to clear, unbiased candidate information, given the alarming, well-documented decline of local newspapers and media. […]

In many communities, local newspapers are trusted sources of information, as a 2021 Knight Foundation-Gallup survey found. “Compared with other sources of local information, Americans also say local news does the best job of keeping them informed, holding leaders accountable and amplifying stories in their communities versus social media, community-based apps and word of mouth,” a Knight Foundation analysis stated.

Recognizing the link between thriving local news and a healthy democracy, more news outlets are expanding beats on voting and elections, Veiga notes. But there’s still an urgent need to slow the rapid proliferation of news deserts that has America on track to have lost a third of its newspapers since 2005, according to the “State of Local News 2023″ from the Local News Initiative at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Philanthropic support, like the $500 million Press Forward nationwide initiative, is important. Legislation can make a difference too, and Illinois has two ambitious proposals, introduced by state Sen. Steve Stadelman of Rockford, that are worth strong consideration from lawmakers: Senate Bill 3591, the Journalism Preservation Act, would require social media and tech giants like Google and Facebook to compensate local news organizations for content they share and profit from. Senate Bill 3592 would create the Strengthening Community Media Act with hiring incentives, including a tax credit for news outlets to hire more reporters and for small businesses that advertise with local news organizations.

* Rep. Sharon Chung filed HB5759…

Creates the Music and Musicians Tax Credit and Jobs Act. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may award credits to qualified music companies. Creates the Music Education Scholarship Act. Provides that the Board of Higher Education may award scholarships to applicants who are enrolled in or accepted for admission to an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree program in music education and who agree to meet certain teaching obligations. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates certain income tax credits for theater infrastructure projects. Amends the Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act. Renames the Act as the Live Music and Theater Production Tax Credit Act. Provides that the Act also applies to musical performances.

* HB4266 from Rep. Maurice West will be heard in committee tomorrow…

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Directs the Secretary of State to grant a waiver of the lobbyist registration fee for any not-for-profit entity with an annual budget of less than $5,000,000 that is classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including a waiver for any lobbyist that exclusively lobbies on behalf of such an entity.

14 Comments

Open thread

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

9 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Downstate congressional race highlights the GOP’s hard move to the right. Tribune…

* Related stories…

∙ WSIL: Your Voice, Your Vote: Bost vs. Bailey
∙ NBC Chicago: Trump endorses Rep. Mike Bost over Darren Bailey in 12th district race
∙ The Hill: 2024 GOP primary endorsements: Where they stand

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | In Virginia, Gov. Pritzker steps up attacks on ‘stupid and ignorant’ Donald Trump: Gov. J.B. Pritzker, keynoting a fundraiser for the Democratic Party of Virginia, said Saturday Trump will “spew his hateful lies, his vitriol, his dark vision for this country, and he’ll do everything he can to claw his way back into office. But we’re not going to let him, are we.”

* Tribune | How would Illinois fare if Supreme Court rules in favor of GOP states’ efforts to regulate social media platforms?: Differences on the court emerged over how to think about the platforms — as akin to newspapers that have broad free-speech protections, or telephone companies, known as common carriers, that are susceptible to broader regulation. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested he was in the former camp, saying early in the session, “And I wonder, since we’re talking about the First Amendment, whether our first concern should be with the state regulating what we have called the modern public square?”

* Daily Southtown | Voters from Chatham to Kankakee to decide between Thaddeus Jones and newcomer Gloria White: Standing between Democratic state Rep. Thaddeus Jones and an eighth term representing the 29th House District in Springfield is Democratic candidate and financial adviser Gloria K. White, who is hoping south suburban voters want a change in leadership. […] Jones, through a spokesman, declined to be interviewed by the Daily Southtown and said he would send a written statement. On Friday, the spokesman said Jones decided to not provide any statement.

Governor Pritzker will be at U of I at 9:30 to celebrate Illinois Regional Tech Hub designees. Click here to watch.

And click here for some Cook County primary polling results.

* Here’s the rest of your morning briefing…

* Daily Herald | 49th District state House GOP hopefuls discuss being effective within Democratic majority: Hannah Billingsley of West Chicago and Aris Garcia of Streamwood are business owners who will face each other in the Republican primary on March 19.[…] [Garcia] said a key difference between conservative voters and Democrats is that conservatives won’t show up for a Republican candidate they don’t like while Democratic voters will show up for every Democratic candidate.

* BND | Prenzler and Slusser started as allies. Now they’re fierce primary opponents: They were once Republican allies. Slusser supported Prenzler in his successful bids to become treasurer in 2010 and 2014, and Prenzler appointed Slusser to replace him in 2016, when Prenzler was elected board chairman. But in recent months, both campaigns have leveled sharp criticism at the other, including claims of incompetency, corruption, dishonesty and political “dirty tricks.” The primary election is March 19.

* WBEZ | Unions target far-right Illinois state representatives: Wilhour’s opponent is Matt Hall of Vandalia is a former member of the Vandalia School Board. His campaign committee had $1,100 available at the end of 2023. But through the middle of February, State Board of Elections data show unions have donated $93,500 in cash and contributed roughly $63,000 in advertising and consulting services. Niemerg’s opponent is Jim Acklin – the acting mayor of Ogden, interim superintendent of Edgar County CUSD #6 and a former candidate for state representative. His campaign committee – Citizens for Jim Acklin – was created on February 8, 2024 and received $98,500 in contributions the following week – a majority of that from the IEA.

* Daily Southtown | Low tax collection rate in south suburbs shows need for development, changes in Springfield: Only 86.4% of billed taxes owed by residents were collected by local governments in the south suburbs, according to the analysis of the recently concluded 2022 tax year, far below the average tax collection rate in Cook County of 96%. That means Southland towns are losing out on $185 million in funds for services such as public safety, education and infrastructure.

* Tribune | Despite legal limbo, Bring Chicago Home’s champions, foes continue messaging battle in final weeks before March primary: Despite the fresh need to cut through voter skepticism over the ballot question’s relevance, Bring Chicago Home leaders maintain they are more animated than ever to win and are making the moral case to voters about the necessity of the measure. Standing in their way is the city’s powerful real estate and construction lobby, which has sought to attack the campaign’s credibility by arguing the tax increases would stifle the city’s growth with no guarantee homelessness would improve.

* Madison-St. Clair Record | Fourth District: Constitutional challenge to Pritzker’s COVID-19 emergency orders declared moot: The appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by dozens of Illinois school district employees, finding that the allegations are moot and no exceptions to the mootness doctrine apply. The plaintiffs’ case was consolidated with other similar cases filed by school employees from Kane County, McLean County, Peoria County, Piatt County, Vermillion County, Williamson County and Effingham County, according to the case docket.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker appoints former deputy governor Christian Mitchell to McPier board: Mitchell left the governor’s administration in January 2023 to become vice president for civic engagement for the University of Chicago. Under Pritzker, Mitchell oversaw environment, infrastructure and public safety since the beginning of the governor’s first term in 2019.

* Tribune | Former patients of Fabio Ortega say Endeavor Health failed to protect them from an abusive doctor: As Victoria stepped into Dr. Fabio Ortega’s exam room in the summer of 2017, she had no idea the gynecologist’s career was hurtling toward destruction. […] Nor was Victoria aware of Ortega’s previous history, including a patient who public records show had complained to Endeavor back in 2012, contending he had behaved inappropriately during an appointment.

* WaPo | Health-care hack spreads pain across hospitals and doctors nationwide: The Feb. 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, owned by UnitedHealth Group, has cut off many health-care organizations from the systems they rely on to transmit patients’ health-care claims and get paid. The ensuing outage doesn’t appear to affect any of the systems that provide direct, critical care to patients. But it has laid bare a vulnerability that cuts across the U.S. health-care system, frustrating patients unable to pay for their medications at the pharmacy counter and threatening the financial solvency of some organizations that rely heavily on Change’s platform.

* Sun-Times | Early voting for March 19 primary expands Monday across Chicago, Cook County: Beginning Monday, early voting sites will open in each of the city’s 50 wards, while 53 sites will open at dozens of village halls, courthouses, community centers and other venues across the suburbs. Chicago residents can vote early at any site in the city, and suburban residents can do so at any site in the county, regardless of their addresses. That changes on Election Day, when residents voting in person must do so at their home precincts.

* Tribune | With ShotSpotter staying in Chicago for the time being, dispute continues over the system’s usefulness: What’s more, Piza and the other investigators found, CPD officers dispatched via ShotSpotter alerts arrived at shooting scenes about 10 seconds faster than officers who responded to shootings with only 911 calls. But none of that necessarily led to safer streets, Piza said. “Gun violence did not change in ShotSpotter areas following installation of the software, shootings were not any more likely to be solved by police after the software was introduced.”

* Sun-Times | Unseasonably warm weather greets thousands taking the annual Polar Plunge: Over 5,000 people took a dip Sunday to benefit Special Olympics Chicago and Special Children’s Charities programs. Organizers said it was the largest attendance in the event’s 24-year history, raising $1.9 million.

* Tribune | Eclipse chasers head to southern Illinois for 2nd total solar eclipse in 7 years: ‘You get hooked’: This year’s eclipse will also be all the more special as other planets line up next to the celestial protagonists: Jupiter will be visible to the upper left, and Venus to the lower right. Others might be visible but dimmer, including possibly Saturn, Mars and Mercury.

* Lake County News-Sun | Highland Park native, wife donate $1M for permanent parade shooting memorial; ‘It’s always been the place I consider home’: The donation by Jon and Mindy Gray, current residents of New York City, is the first private contribution to the city’s endeavor to create a trauma-informed memorial. In addition to the donation, the Grays provided support to the Highland Park Community Foundation for immediate relief efforts after the shooting.

* Sun-Times | Statewide tornado drill set for Wednesday morning: The tornado drill will be conducted by the National Weather Service at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The event will include use of emergency signals on radios, according to the weather service. Sirens aren’t expected to be used, though they will be Tuesday during monthly siren testing.

* Evanston Round Table | Frank Cicero Jr., attorney who helped write the current Illinois Constitution, dies at 88: First in his family to go to high school or college, Frank was born in Chicago in 1935 to first generation Italian-American parents, Frank, Sr. and Mary Balma Cicero. His two sets of grandparents emigrated from Italy; one couple were Protestant Waldensians from the Alps and the other were Catholic Sicilians. In his retirement years, Frank devoted himself to understanding his parents’ different backgrounds–both Italian, but very different. With the curiosity of a trial lawyer making a case, he dug into his heritage and exploration of Italian Protestants. As such, he enjoyed his period as a trustee of the American Waldensian Society, and he completed his first book, Relative Strangers: Italian Protestants in the Catholic World (Academy Chicago Publishers, 2011).

* NBC Chicago | Casimir Pulaski Day is Monday in Illinois, but what does it celebrate?: Born in 1747, Pulaski fought for Poland’s freedom from Russia until 1771, when he was exiled to France, according to the Library of Congress. In Paris, he met American envoy Benjamin Franklin, who influenced him to help Americans fight for their independence and recommended that he be appointed a brigadier general in the Continental Army.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Mar 4, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Saturday campaign updates (Password updated to this week’s)

Saturday, Mar 2, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A little more than 26 years ago…

“This is gonna be fun,” Aretha Franklin said to Ken Ehrlich as she approached the Grammy stage on February 25, 1998.

On a windy, wintery Wednesday night, nearly 43 years after she made her first recordings, Aretha Franklin knocked the world off its axis. In a last-minute frenzy, she stepped in for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti and performed his signature aria “Nessun dorma,” live on the Grammy Awards. […]

After agreeing to the task at hand, Aretha recalled sitting quietly while surrounded by bedlam. A boombox was located so she could sit and listen to the recording of the rehearsal and hear the score. She met with the conductor and exchanged notes. Before she knew it, Ken was holding her hand and escorting her down the stairs and to the stage. During a post-show interview on the Grammys red carpet, Aretha revealed that she received the request to perform “about eight minutes” before she took the stage. EIGHT.

* And here she is…

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Emil Jones III’s jury trial has been reset for Dec. 9. Jason Meisner…

Prosecutors say they want to redact some information from the discovery in Jones’ case, including “uncharged conduct by other individuals.”
Remember, Sandoval had pleaded guilty and was cooperating w/ the feds when he died of COVID in Dec. 2020.
What secrets was he spilling?
🤔

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) March 1, 2024

* Illinois Community College Board…

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) today announced $3 million in state grants to community colleges to expand access to its Dual Credit Program that allows students the ability to earn college-level credits while still in high school.

The Dual Credit Program has become a progressively popular option for Illinois high school students with enrollment in the program increasing by 29% cumulatively over the last five years and 65% cumulatively over the last decade.

A new report released by the ICCB found that High school students who took dual credit courses have substantially higher community college graduation rates and advancement rates than those students who did not enroll in dual credit coursework. […]

Other Dual Credit report findings:

· In fiscal year 2023, Illinois community colleges offered a total of 14,638 dual credit courses, which was an increase of 8.1 percent from the previous year.
· In Illinois, during fiscal year 2023, a total of 82,602 individual (i.e., “unduplicated”) high school students enrolled in one or more community college dual credit courses.
· One in five students (20.1 percent) taking one or more Illinois community college credit courses was a high school dual credit student.
· Overall, in fiscal year 2023, dual credit duplicated (seat count) enrollment increased 11.5 percent compared to one year ago.

* Crain’s…

Walgreens Boots Alliance will begin dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone at select pharmacies this month in a handful of states, including Illinois.

Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman told Crain’s on March 1 the company completed a certification process administered by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to dispense the medication in select pharmacies.

Aside from Illinois, Walgreens will sell the pill in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California, he said.

* Press release…

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that it is adopting updated guidance from the CDC that streamline and simplify recommendations for dealing with the range of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu and RSV. The new guidance focuses on protecting those most at risk of serious illness.

The CDC guidance was issued as data indicate respiratory viruses are continuing to circulate around Illinois and the state’s overall respiratory virus level has moved up from Low to Moderate based on an uptick in flu reports. The state remained at Low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker as of February 24. The data showed that six counties are at Medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from eight the previous week. There are no counties at High level for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Also this week on Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a recommendation for a second dose of the current 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that were authorized last fall to be given to those over 65 years of age. Those who are immunosuppressed remain eligible to receive additional doses 2 months after their previous dose. A CDC presentation that was provided for the ACIP meeting included preliminary data that showed that COVID-19 hospital admissions remained much higher than flu during the summer months and that 96% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in the fall of 2023, had not received the updated Covid shot last fall. This implies that the current shot is highly protective against serious outcomes.

“IDPH appreciates the new guidance from the CDC that streamlines recommendations across respiratory viruses and provides simple, clear and easy to understand steps for those with COVID-19, flu and RSV,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “These new guidelines put the emphasis correctly on protecting those who are most vulnerable to serious illness and hospitalizations. While Illinois is in a better position than we were two months ago, the State is currently experiencing an uptick in our overall respiratory illness level. Individuals 65 and over, those who are immunocompromised, and individuals with chronic medical conditions remain most vulnerable to severe outcomes, and they should continue to use all tools at their disposal to keep themselves protected.

“Flu season can last until May, and it is not too late to get your flu shot if you haven’t already,” Dr. Vohra added. “The CDC also released new recommendations this week that allow older adults to now receive an additional dose of this season’s COVID-19 vaccine. An additional dose for those at highest risk can add protection this spring and summer.”

* Here’s the rest…

Crain’s | City proposes major spending cuts to key O’Hare terminal project:

* WTTW | Illinois Paid at Least $640K to Review Controversial ‘Invest In Kids’ Tax Credit Program, But Results Are Deemed ‘Inconclusive’: “What we can learn from this report is limited and inconclusive due to the absence of demographic data for the scholarship recipients and the lack of apples-to-apples comparisons,” Illinois State Board of Education spokesperson Jackie Matthews said in a statement about the just-published analysis on Invest in Kids.

* Center Square | Pressure mounts for daylight saving time reform: One of those calling for an end to this system, state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, stressed the consequences of sleep loss especially for children and senior citizens. “Any legislator with small children knows what it is like to have to move our clocks forward and hour and lose an hour of sleep and the damage it does to not just our sleep but to our children and how they’re feeling, their productivity, during the day,” Morgan told The Center Square.

* Daily Herald | Is the autoworkers union endorsing Foster or Rashid in the 11th District? It depends who you ask: Even though laborers with UAW Local 1268 — including its president, Matt Frantzen — enthusiastically praised Foster in the ad and thanked him for working with President Joe Biden to save their jobs and reopen Stellantis’ idle Belvidere Assembly Plant, the UAW’s Region 4 office in downstate Ottawa is backing rival Qasim Rashid. In a statement issued Thursday by Rashid’s campaign, regional UAW representative John Gedney called Naperville’s Rashid “a proven advocate for working people” and proclaimed him to be the only person in the race “aligned with UAW’s principles.”

* SJ-R | Fight against poverty: Illinoisans to rally outside the state capitol this weekend: The march is part of the Poor People’s Campaign of Illinois, which is joining 31 other states in an organized event to assemble outside the state capitol with demands for the upcoming primary election being held on March 19.

* Daily Herald | 49th District GOP rivals debate their electability in November showdown with Hirschauer: Both candidates expressed distaste for politics itself, and the notion that government is the solution to all problems rather than the personal leadership they feel they possess.

* Daily Herald | Pierog: Sanctuary status for Kane County already decided by state law: A tide of concern about recent migrant busing into Kane County reached its apex this week as residents packed a county board meeting to overflow status with calls to reject any move toward a formal sanctuary county proclamation. Sanctuary cities are viewed as being welcoming to migrants, including those who make unauthorized border crossings. After waiting two hours to speak, County Board Chair Corinne Pierog told them they were too late. Kane County already is a sanctuary county, Pierog said. She pointed to state legislation approved in 2017 and signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. “The Trust Act made 102 counties in the state of Illinois what you would consider a sanctuary county,” Pierog told the raucous audience. “You are asking if I’m advocating Kane County be a sanctuary county? That was already done by a Republican governor. I cannot undo state law.”

* Bolts | As Kim Foxx Exits, Chicago Is Choosing the Next “Gatekeeper” of Its Bail Reform: But Burke has also blamed Foxx for being too lenient in some cases, signaling she’d turn the page on the incumbent’s reform priorities. Harris has comparatively aligned himself with the outgoing state’s attorney, whose tenure has seen a considerable decline in the local jail population. Local progressive leaders and the county Democratic Party recently coalesced around Harris as the candidate more likely to continue criminal legal reforms in Chicago.

* WBBM | Sorry, drivers: Kennedy Expressway construction closures returning soon: After a three month break, the major Kennedy Expressway construction project will resume on the night of March 11, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced. The first morning commute to be impacted will be Tuesday, March 12. This next phase of the three-year project will be conducted in the reversible express lanes and is not expected to be completed until late this fall. During this period, all Kennedy express lanes in both directions will be closed.

* WCIA | Urbana families rally, voice concerns over elementary school redistricting plans: Some parents support the change, while others want to put the process on pause. But they all say this seems like a similar situation to the closure of Wiley Elementary school last year. What they don’t agree on is what the district’s next steps can be. “They’re trying to close more schools without a plan, and we just want to pause. We want to work with the district, we want to plan, and we want stability for our children,” said Mabruka Yazidi of the Urbana Schools Action Coalition.

* WNIJ | Western Illinois University president stepping down: In his letter, Huang said, “After much reflection, I have decided to leave the University.” He added, “This was not an easy conclusion to come to, but I have decided it is time to move on to the next chapter of my life and be closer to my family.” He did not elaborate further on his reasons for leaving.

* WCIA | UIS receives grant to help with teacher shortage: The University’s School of Education is putting the money towards developing a new program that will include another college and a school district in Springfield and Decatur. UIS will use the money for 15 forgivable loans of $25,000 each for students planning to teach in Springfield and Decatur for five years.

* Daily Herald | Can working less lead to happier, healthier and better cops?: Can fewer hours on the job lead to better policing and healthier, happier law enforcement officers? A police department in the Denver suburbs is trying to answer that question with its switch last year to a 32-hour workweek for every member of the force. And the results so far have law enforcement leaders across the country taking notice.

* Sun-Times | Coffee roaster’s partnership creates job opportunities for adults with disabilities: The Aspire CoffeeWorks program at Metropolis has offered part-time work to disabled adults through the Hillside-based nonprofit Aspire. The partnership isn’t just a great way to provide paid work to the program’s employees, managers say. It’s also a way to show businesses can succeed by employing people of all abilities, said Katie Filippini, director of Aspire CoffeeWorks.

* Lauren Gustus | You should know what the Utah speaker said is wrong: [Utah] Gov. Spencer Cox has already signed legislation making elected officials and lawmakers’ work calendars a secret. Other bills, if signed, will pay for private companies to scrape lawmakers’ public information from the web and mean you won’t know how much water Utah wants to buy from other states and what it will cost taxpayers.

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Shenanigan!

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Note the “Official Team Trump” seal of approval for this 17th Congressional District Republican candidate…

From Trump’s campaign website…

President Donald J. Trump will grant the right to use his “Seal of Approval” to an exclusive group of candidates and committees that the President endorses or otherwise supports. The purpose of the Seal is to help President Trump’s donors distinguish between authorized uses of his name and likeness, and unauthorized uses including oftentimes outright scams. It is intended to protect the President’s donors and supporters from illegitimate organizations falsely claiming some affiliation with President Trump and his campaign.

However, Crowl isn’t on the approved list.

Crowl has loaned his campaign $57,530 since last October and raised a few grand otherwise. He faces retired Rockford Judge Joe McGraw for the right to take on freshman Democratic US Rep. Eric Sorensen.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign updates (Updated x3)

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Today’s number: 4 percent

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mike Miletich…

Roughly 4% of the Illinois children DCFS investigated last year came into the state’s care. Department leaders told state lawmakers Thursday that they are able to place those children with parents 70% of the time.

DCFS recently improved their office responsible for helping children find alternate placements such as foster homes or agency shelters. There is also a new working group with child welfare management agencies focused on creating a seamless system for kids needing placement.

“It’s key for us to do this in a collaborative way because we want to make sure that we address all of the things that they require so that they can readily be able to accept those youth,” said Tim Snowden, Chief Deputy Director For Permanency & Intact Families.

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Did You Know? 80% Of Illinoisans Use Natural Gas To Heat Their Homes

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

We need to stop the political attacks on natural gas in Chicago and across Illinois. The reality is 80 percent of Illinoisans rely on natural gas to heat their homes. Illinois politicians need to create a plan for a gradual transition to clean energy that recognizes the reality of how homes are heated and powered today.

When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of old, leaky gas infrastructure.

At this time, it makes no sense for Illinois to shut down the gas line safety program that prevents methane leaks and catastrophic accidents. We are calling on Illinois residents to fight back with us and tell Governor Pritzker and the ICC to decarbonize the right way. Fix our dangerous gas lines first.

Click on the links to view our ads: Ticking Time Bomb & Real Change.
To learn more and help fight back, visit us online at Fight Back Fund.

Paid for by Fight Back Fund

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This may not be a bad idea

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Hmm…

* But even if you don’t agree with this proposal (and there are some valid reasons for that), I would at least require proof that the cap-busting money is actually deposited because there is currently no such mechanism to show that the cash is real. Also, the self-funding triggers should be tied to inflation. The triggers have not risen since 2009. It cost Eileen Burke the same amount to bust the caps (minimum $100,001) as it did 15 years ago. Inflation would’ve increased that trigger to about $143K.

Burke reported raising $836,200 the very same day she declared that she’d busted the caps.

Both Democratic legislative leaders have busted their personal committee contribution caps. Speaker Chris Welch loaned his campaign $101,000. But Senate President Don Harmon busted the caps with a straight contribution.

* Interestingly enough, while the self-financing triggers don’t rise with inflation, the law mandates that all contribution limits must be adjusted to the cost of living. The contribution limit on political action committees is now $68,500. That limit was $50,000 when the bill was initially passed.

Discuss.

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Today’s must-watch video (Updated x2)

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is so great…

Platonic ideal of a municipal/state worker: regional accent thick as molasses; probably a headache to deal with through official channels; will still save your ass from a burning car without a second thought https://t.co/K2PPBI6VCg

— ravenswood revanchist (@alopex_ii) March 1, 2024

The IDOT worker’s comments start at about 1:15.

…Adding… Sun-Times…

Steve Newcomb thought he had seen every kind of crash during his years working as an overnight minuteman tow truck driver for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

That was the case until early Friday when, for the first time, he played the role of a first responder and pulled two women from a burning car on the Kennedy Expressway. […]

Newcomb has been working for the Illinois Department of Transportation for 22 years, most of them doing maintenance, plowing and grass cutting, he said. He’s been doing minuteman patrols for five years.

“I’ve seen every kind of crash,” he said. “But I’ve never been on scene where there was a fire where I could pull someone out.”

…Adding… Teamsters press release…

“My job is to help keep people safe on our roadways, and that’s why I knew I had to do something to help those motorists this morning,” said Local 700 member Steve Newcomb. “I am so relieved I was there to take action to get those women to safety. Keeping people safe is what we do at Local 700, and I am just glad I was able to do my part.”

“Steve Newcomb is a hero, full stop,” said Local 700 President Ramon Williams. “Every day, the dedicated public servants of Local 700 work to keep our communities safe. This morning, Steve went above and beyond, and for that we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you to Steve and all of the first responder union members who help keep us safe on the roadways!”

Local 700 encourages all motorists to stay safe on Chicagoland roadways and to always slow down and use caution around IDOT workers.

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Cassidy wants constitutional amendment that protects reproductive health care and gender-affirming care

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune takes a look at the abortion issue, including Gov. Pritzker’s involvement in other states and what to look for in Illinois. Excerpt…

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, who leads abortion-related negotiations for Democrats in the Illinois House, said that while she believes a constitutional amendment in Illinois is necessary in the long term, the need is more urgent in other states.

Protecting access to abortion in other states also could help ease the burden on Illinois providers, who’ve been swamped with out-of-state patients seeking care as restrictions elsewhere go into place, Cassidy said. […]

When the time comes for Illinois, Cassidy said, she wants to see an amendment that addresses protections for both reproductive health care and gender-affirming care, which also is facing an onslaught of restrictions in GOP-led states.

“If someone were to present a (reproductive health)-only constitutional amendment, I will be vehemently opposed to it,” she said.

Harmon, the Senate president, likewise said he believes the state should protect gender-affirming health care.

Thoughts?

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Moody’s looks at Illinois regions

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let’s look at some regional analyses from the February 2024 State of Illinois Economic Forecast Report Prepared for CGFA by Moody’s/Economy.com, starting with Chicago…

Chicago’s economy is showing signs of fatigue. Payroll employment has flattened in the past several months, putting it up 0.8% year over year in the fourth quarter. Healthcare remains a strong source of job growth, but support from other private-service industries has been dwindling. Professional/business services are contracting, transportation/warehousing is trending lower, and leisure/hospitality employment has lost momentum. Manufacturing, construction and government have maintained modest but steady job growth during the course of the year. Employers have significantly reined in pay increases; the employment cost index shows that wage growth for private workers has slowed more in Chicago than in the U.S. during the past year. The rise in the unemployment rate has been similar to the nation’s, but the labor force is contracting after reaching a new high earlier in the year. The jobless rate averaged 4.3% in the fourth quarter.

Professional/business services have been weighed down as high interest rates and the sluggish global economy have chipped away at demand for consulting and technical services, and demand for temporary help has dropped sharply. While finance has fared a bit better lately, layoffs at Northern Trust and BMO Harris are reminders of the chal- lenges banks are facing. Rapid interest-rate increases have caused banks to offer higher deposit rates to customers, squeezing profit margins.

The return of top entertainment and social events is helping to strengthen tourism and leisure/hospitality. Further, the resumption of business meetings and conventions is giving a boost to the business-travel hub. Chicago led the top 25 U.S. markets for meetings and events volume for several months last year, according to hospitality industry tracker Knowland. Hotel occupancy is back to about 90% of its pre-pandemic average, on par with other major markets.

* And the rest…

Lake County’s economy is stuck in a rut. Employment has gone sideways in the past year, leaving it barely any higher than it was at the end of 2022. Manufacturing, retail and transportation/warehousing have declined, and most other major industries have increased modestly. The unemployment rate has drifted higher, and at 5% it is now in unfamiliar territory above the state rate. Some of the rise in joblessness stems from the fact that the labor force is increasing after trending lower for several years. House prices have bounced back from last winter’s declines, partly because new-home construction is weak.

The Urbana-Champaign economy has been one of Illinois’ best performers, though growth has come to a halt. Total employment has leveled off since midyear as employment has declined in several industries, most notably professional/business services and retail. Healthcare remains a stalwart of job growth—and anchored by the University of Illinois, state government employment is trending higher. Stalling in the job market combined with persistently strong labor force growth has pushed the jobless rate up into the mid-4% range, in line with the state.

Bloomington’s economy has cooled. Employment has come down in recent months and weakness is apparent in most major industries. The unemployment rate has risen during the past year and now matches the state rate. Though job losses are a factor, the growing labor force is also putting upward pressure on joblessness. Over the past year, high-wage jobs have contracted while low- and mid-wage employment expanded. As a result, average hourly earnings are down year over year.

Springfield’s economy is starting to regain momentum, though the rebound in nonfarm payrolls since the fall has come almost entirely from government, while private-sector employment has been flat. Professional/business services have been particularly weak. The unemployment rate has risen to 4.7% as of November, partly because of an increase in the labor force.

Peoria’s economy is limping along. Job losses have abated this fall with employment in most industries, including manufacturing and healthcare, leveling off. However, strong growth in professional/business services earlier this year has given way to declines in recent months. Weakening is also apparent in the household employment survey. The unemployment rate has been increasing while the size of the labor force has been stagnant.

Rockford’s economy is on the mend after employment declined in the first half of 2023. Services are carrying the day, particularly healthcare and leisure/hospitality, while goods producers are no longer hemorrhaging jobs. Last year was the Hard Rock Casino’s second year of operation in its temporary venue, where it welcomed more visitors than in 2022. The unemployment rate has risen into the mid-6% range. The labor force has stopped shrinking but remains extremely depressed.

The Quad Cities economy is inching forward. Nonfarm payrolls are below their pre-pandemic level and job additions are trailing the state and national averages. The key durable manufacturing industry is moving sideways, but services are the primary source of weakness. The two downstate communities of the Quad Cities and Decatur are heavily dependent on the manufacturing sector. Decatur’s economy remains weak for the state and the Midwest. Nonfarm payrolls have been decreasing since early 2023. Lackluster performance is evident across the board, including in crucial manufacturing. The weak job market and marginal increase in the labor force have pushed the unemployment rate up to 6.5% in the fall, the second highest in the region.

Danville’s economy picked up the pace a bit. Nonfarm payroll growth was more robust than the rest of the state recently. Government payrolls ticked higher, while the opening of the Golden Nugget Casino significantly boosted leisure/hospitality headcounts. On the downside, the manufacturing industry failed to find any hiring momentum. Despite net job gains, the unemployment rate has moved higher this year as the labor force has jumped. […]

Support from the farm sector has been waning. After trending lower in 2023, agricultural prices are now hovering near levels last seen in 2014. However, compared with their historical average, prices remain elevated. Although state farm income has stopped climbing, the slowdown has been much milder than at the national level, where it has pulled back sharply in recent quarters. […]

There are eight Illinois counties that are part of the St. Louis metro area: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair. Together, these counties account for about 24% of the St. Louis metro area population and about 5% of the Illinois population. Post-pandemic economic growth in this group of counties has been stronger than in Illinois, keeping more in line with the St. Louis metro area. That is largely because Madison County, the largest among them, has also been the strongest in job growth in recent years, a distinction it will retain. Smaller Monroe County also boasts an above-average employment performance, and it is the only one that is growing in population. Overall, the Illinois portion of the St. Louis metro area is losing population more quickly than the rest of the metro area, but less so than Illinois. Population loss will continue in this fashion over the forecast horizon.

Lots and lots more information on this and other topics, so take a look.

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

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Chicago migrants’ grievances focus mostly on treatment by shelter staff. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: City and state quickly moves thousands of migrants from shelters into homes across the South and West sides. But will they stay?
∙ WBEZ: Migrants move out of two Oak Park shelters. What’s next for them?

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WAND | Illinois DCFS leaders, advocates share recent growth, potential solutions for foster system: Agency officials said they are committed to reducing the amount of time children stay in the state’s care and increasing equity in recruitment of foster families. Acting DCFS Director Heidi Mueller said the department is considering the cultural background of every child before deciding where they end up.

* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker is backing abortion rights ballot measures across nation, but little on the horizon in Illinois: Back home, though, a state constitutional amendment on abortion rights doesn’t appear to be on this election year’s agenda for the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature — even though Pritzker last year declared in his second inaugural address that “the right to privacy and bodily autonomy demand that we establish a constitutional protection for reproductive rights in Illinois.”

* Crain’s | Job cuts, fleeing investors: How anti-DEI lawsuits take a toll on targets: The August lawsuit, filed by conservative activist group America First Legal, took issue with a grant program that Hello Alice co-runs for Black-owned small businesses. Only offering the money to Black entrepreneurs was, the suit claimed, discriminatory. The impact of the suit was immediate. Houston-based Hello Alice, which also offers credit and loans, shared the news of the case with potential investors as part of its due diligence process, and two-thirds of the capital was pulled out. It’s spent six figures on fees for three law firms so far, and is budgeting “multiple seven figures” if the case continues.

* Politico…

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has piled up a stunning $15.3 million in campaign cash, according to the fundraising report for the last quarter of 2023.

The IL-08 Democrat has (again) surpassed his Democratic colleagues in Illinois, and he’s in an elite group of top fundraisers for House Democrats in Congress, having contributed more than $5.4 million this cycle to House Democrats.

Only Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, with $17 million cash on hand, has outraised Krishnamoorthi. It’s the kind of fundraising that fuels talk that Krishnamoorthi will one day run for U.S. Senate.

The rest of Illinois Dems: Jonathan Jackson (IL-01): $20,761, Robin Kelly (IL-02): $1.6 million, Delia Ramirez (IL-03): $363,708, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04): $202,798, Mike Quigley (IL-05): $1.1 million, Sean Casten (IL-06): $1.1 million, Danny Davis (IL-07): $819,978, Jan Schakowsky (IL-09): $826,686, Brad Schneider (IL-10): $1.1 million, Bill Foster (IL-11): 1.7 million, Nikki Budzinski (IL-13): $1.4 million, Lauren Underwood (IL-14): $1.6 million and Eric Sorensen (IL-17): $1.6 million.

* Here’s the rest of your briefing…

* South Side Weekly | Board of Elections Warehouse Workers Allege Poor Treatment: In interviews with the Weekly, workers described working long hours in a moldy, dusty warehouse where they say CBOE-employed supervisors harassed and berated them with impunity, made last-minute schedule changes to prevent them from accruing overtime, and made them feel they had to accept these conditions or risk being fired and replaced.

* WCIA | Schweizer replaces Marron, prepares for start of political career: “What I’m really trying to focus on is one, you know, understanding the needs of the individuals in my district,” Schweizer said. “And you know, after that, trying to voice those needs here, when I get to when we get to Springfield, and trying to make a difference in the area that I live in to make it safer for families to live, and bringing jobs to the community so it’s just a better place that people want to move to and want to live in.”

* South Side Weekly | In Democratic Primaries, No Business as Usual: Sigcho-Lopez pointed to the campaign in Michigan and said he will similarly abstain from participating in the Democratic primary here, citing the urgency of the moment.

* Daily-Journal | Joyce, Earling spar 40th issues: While the district remains the same, the candidates for the Democratic Party nomination are vastly different and taking front and center is a clear difference between the benefits of a China-based company, Gotion, setting up a massive electric vehicle battery plant in northern Kankakee County. Earling, 48, a 19-year resident of the Will County community of Braidwood, is opposed to massive state grants and tax breaks being given to a company coming from a communist country. It is unclear whether Gotion has any ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

* Daily-Journal | Jobs, migrants dominate 79th forum: Three of the four candidates were on hand. Limestone Township resident Dylan Mill, on the primary ballot, was not in attendance Tuesday at the Kankakee Public Library where the debate, hosted by the Kankakee County Branch of the NAACP, was attended by more than 60 residents. The winner of the March 19 primary will then face Republican State Rep. Jackie Haas, a two-term rep from Bourbonnais, in the Nov. 5 general election.

* ABC Chicago | Illinois touts improvements in making marijuana industry equitable, but critics say more needed: “When cannabis was illegal, 80% of arrests were Black and brown people,” said Matthew Brewer, owner of Grasshopper Club. “My brother was one of the people in the 80% arrested for cannabis possession.”His brother’s arrest was one of the reasons Brewer wanted to get into the marijuana industry. He is now celebrating his first year as the proud owner of Grasshopper Club, the first independent Black-owned dispensary in Chicago.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s former top lawyer faces complaint for role in doomed plan to open pot shop at old Rainforest Cafe: Robert Brown pushed back on the plan for more than a year, organizing neighbors and filing a lawsuit that sought to reverse a decision by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals granting approval to open the store at 605 N. Clark St. Brown has now submitted a complaint to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission alleging that former Corporation Counsel Mara Georges sent an improper letter to zoning board chairman Brian Sanchez while working for the companies that sought to open the dispensary.

* Sun-Times | This Chicago-based Catholic order is keeping secrets about child-molesting clergy around the United States: The Order of Friar Servants of Mary, commonly known as the Servites, has its U.S. headquarters in Chicago, but it maintains no public list of credibly accused members despite calls for transparency. One church watchdog group counts 11 Servites accused of child sex abuse over the years, and the order has been accused of covering up for some offenders.

* Tribune | Donald Trump’s lawyers seek reversal of ruling that dropped former president from Illinois GOP primary ballot: Trump’s attorneys had argued that states do not have the power to act on the “insurrection clause” without authorization from Congress, that the 14th Amendment’s section on insurrection does not apply to the office of president, and that the former president’s actions on the day of the Capitol riot did not amount to insurrection. Porter rejected those arguments.

* Crain’s | Chicago area named best spot for corporate investment for 11th year in a row: According to a 2023 year-in-review report from WBC, last year 163 “pro-Chicagoland decisions” created more than 23,000 job opportunities. The decisions consisted of 117 expansions and 46 relocations or “new market entries” and generated more than $1.87 billion in earnings, the city’s economic development arm said.

* NBC Chicago | Statewide tornado drill slated for Illinois next week. Here’s what to know: The annual test warning will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and many commercial radio and television stations, with a tone alarm beginning at 11 a.m. “Residents should treat the drill as if it were an actual Tornado Warning,” the NWS reported. “The purpose of the drill is to test everyone’s readiness for life-threatening severe weather events such as tornadoes, flash floods, and damaging winds. The National Weather Service will issue a Routine Weekly Test (RWT) to NOAA Weather Radios to initiate the drill.”

* AP | Philadelphia Phillies are scrapping $1 hot dog nights following unruly fan behavior:
Armed with projectile frankfurters, some unruly Phillies fans began chucking their favorite Hatfield meat during a game last year, and the dogs soared like cans of corn throughout the stands and onto the field. The demand for the discount dogs also led to clogged lanes — if not arteries — on the concourse, and the cramped spaces led to security and safety concerns.

* Tribune | In memoriam: Reasons to love Richard Lewis, and why he loved Chicago: But I was also thrown back in memory to a March night in 1984 at Zanies, the Old Town comedy club, where he made his first Chicago appearance. Also in the audience was my former Tribune colleague and friend Howard Reich, who told me on Thursday, “I last communicated with Richard just a couple of days ago, so his death is as much a shock to me as to the millions who similarly revered him.” […] As Reich remembers, “The first time I reviewed him was that March 1984 night at Zanies. I was overwhelmed by his verbal brilliance and by his sheer profusion of comic scenarios. I’d never witnessed such an avalanche of humor so virtuosically delivered.”

* Ohio Capital Journal | Former Ohio Speaker Householder files appeal, says bribe payment was within First Amendment rights: In the 105-page document filed Monday evening in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Householder’s attorneys said the man prosecutors likened to a “mob boss” in the House Bill 6 scheme was “scapegoated” by the federal government.

* Tribune | Brookfield Zoo Chicago announces $66 million Tropical Forests for primates as part of major redesign: “It’s really a flip from where zoos were at 100 years ago, when it was all visitor-centric,” says Mike Adkesson, the former vice president of veterinary care at the zoo and now its president and CEO. “You had these big, expansive, central galleries that looked into small diagrams where the animals were displayed. As zoos have evolved over the last century, we’ve moved away from that entirely.”

* AP | Some doorbell cameras sold by retailers like Amazon have major security flaws, report says: Researchers said the doorbell cameras made by Eken Group can be controlled by a company-operated app called Aiwit. They said bad actors can create an account on the app and gain access to a nearby doorbell camera by pairing it with another device. That gives them the ability to view footage — or access still images — and lock out the owner from the device, Consumer Reports said.

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Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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