Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2024

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

The Chicago Board of Ethics canceled its meeting set for Monday, leaving the ethics probe into City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in limbo a week before she is set to face voters in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. […]

A majority of the Ethics Board was unable to attend the meeting set for 3 p.m. Monday in person, forcing the cancellation, Board Chair William Conlon told WTTW News. One seat on the seven-member board has been vacant since July 2022, while another has been vacant since March 2023, Conlon said.

Mayor Brandon Johnson should “quickly” nominate Chicagoans to fill those vacancies, which occurred under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and ask the Chicago City Council to swiftly confirm his picks, Conlon said.[…]

The cancellation of the Ethics Board meeting leaves the pending probe against Conyears-Ervin up in the air, four months after the Ethics Board ratified Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s determination that Conyears-Ervin fired two city employees after they warned her she was violating the city’s government ethics ordinance by using city resources to host a prayer service.

Each violation of the law could trigger a fine of $20,000.

* Here’s the rest…

SJ-R | Statewide election referendums beginning to take shape:

* Journal Courier | Prison reform advocates deliver letters to Springfield: House Bill 2045, known as the Elder Parole Bill, is sponsored by Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and would make incarcerated people over the age of 55 who have served at least 25 years in prison eligible for parole. Letters in support of HB 2045 were delivered to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and the state legislature.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect sets limits on stays at hotels, motels Mount Prospect sets limits on stays at hotels, motels: The village board last week passed the new restrictions as amendments to the zoning code. The board also adopted new regulations for extended stay hotels, defined as places where people stay longer than 30 days but not longer than 90.

* Daily Herald | Moderate vs. conservative: Kane County’s GOP faces a defining county board primary: GOP incumbents Bill Roth (District 12), Mark Davoust (District 14) and Mike Kenyon (District 16) all face opponents from the more conservative ranks of the Kane County GOP. Their opponents, Michelle Geen (District 12), Jonathan Gripe (District 14) and Eric Stare (District 16), all either echo the concerns of the conservative public commenters from the past four years or say they’ve been recruited to run for office by some of those commenters. In addition to local election reform, including the use of hand-counted paper ballots, the three opponents stand against a new facility for the county health department, relocating or selling the existing county government center, and they want the county to actively oppose migrant busing into the area.

* Daily Herald | ‘We must restore the community’s trust’: Medical center regains trauma center designation: The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reached an agreement with Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan to restore the hospital’s Level II Trauma Center status. The move allows emergency medical service providers to resume taking some trauma patients to the medical center rather than other facilities farther away. The designation had been revoked Feb. 2 due to a lack of essential services, including a blood bank, anesthesia, neurology, urology, and a full-time trauma coordinator.

* WTTW | Chicago Spent $524M on Overtime in 2023, Including $293M for Police, Setting New Records: The Chicago Police Department spent $293 million on overtime last year, 40% more than in 2022 and nearly three times the $100 million earmarked for police overtime set by the Chicago City Council as part of the city’s 2023 budget, according to data obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

* Tribune | Cook County expected to pay $17 million in Burge-connected Jackie Wilson case: Cook County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the deal this week, which would bring a quiet end to a civil rights lawsuit filed against former Cook County state’s attorneys accused of railroading Jackie Wilson for murders committed by his older brother.

* Injustice Watch | In A Hyper-local Judicial Race, Questions About What Counts As Community Representation: Vega Samuel and Demitro are running for a judicial seat in Cook County’s 14th Subcircuit, a majority Latinx district that was recently redrawn into a shape vaguely resembling the number seven, uniting portions of Hermosa, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side with Pilsen, McKinley Park, and Back of the Yards on the Southwest Side. The two candidates’ backgrounds are a Venn diagram with a significant overlap, and they share the life experiences of many 14th Subcircuit residents. Both grew up in working-class immigrant households with parents who spoke little to no English. They were the first college graduates and the first lawyers in their families. Both reported raising just $2,000 this election cycle as of the beginning of March, and both were found qualified for judge by bar associations.

* Block Club | Ward Committeepeople Are On The Ballot This March. What Exactly Do They Do?: Endorsing candidates through the Cook County Democratic Party is one of the most high-profile duties committeepeople are tasked with. Ahead of every election, the party holds its slating process, where committeepeople meet and hear out candidates running for countywide office. They then issue official party-backed endorsements.

* Crain’s | Bears sued over alleged racial bias in diversity fellow hiring: The Bears, the lawsuit alleges, “engaged in intentional race and sex discrimination when creating and circulating a job posting which by its very nature excludes Caucasian men as viable applicants . . . depriving plaintiff of his rights to contract on the basis of his race.” The complaint says the Bears learned of the plaintiff’s race and sex after viewing his LinkedIn profile, which “contains a photograph of himself . . . (displaying) his race, Caucasian, and his sex, male.”

* WBEZ | An AI cyborg and an orchestra are about to collide onstage in Chicago: The work is unlike most things you would imagine unfolding onstage with a full orchestra. Assad describes it as part orchestral suite, part performance art piece. Onstage, Assad portrays a humanoid AI, armed with an electronic drum, a wearable MIDI ring that creates sound when she moves her hand, like a theremin, and a futuristic-looking jumpsuit. She fastidiously observes the orchestra as they play, roving around the stage to absorb their sounds and motions.

* SJ-R | Is steak still on the menu? Fine dining industry changing amid rising costs: According to President of Mercedes Restaurants Ron Helms, which owned Alexander’s Steakhouse, poor customer retention and inflation of service costs caused the restaurant to gouge money for three years. “We were losing money in Springfield year after year and we were making money in Peoria year after year,” Helms said. “The Peoria store has been covering the expenses of the Springfield store for the past three years … you can’t really downsize when this is our smallest location already.”

* WCIA | ‘This is for everybody back home’: Springfield native reflects on Oscar win: The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film went to “War is Over! Inspired By The Music of John and Yoko!” The 11-minute short’s producer, Brad Booker, is from Springfield. […] “It really was the most surreal thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he told WCIA Monday. “You know, it’s in the same ballpark as when I had my two kids, but it’s even weirder.”

* Tribune | Statue honoring WWII glider pilot who landed on D-Day approved for Niles: “High Flight” is designed as a stainless steel, 10-foot tall abstract sculpture of a WACO CG-4A glider, the most widely used U.S. troop/cargo glider of World War II, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The village’s Public Arts and Culture Advisory Council wanted a sculpture in remembrance of Wojtaszek, who served in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division and flew a glider during the war, according to Johnson.

* SJ-R | Ready for the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Springfield? Here’s what to know: Adults 21 and older may buy a wristband allowing them to enjoy adult beverages outside of a licensed beverage establishment between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Wristbands cost $1 with proceeds benefiting the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.

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Shelter in place ordered at Statehouse (Updated x7) - All clear

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Not sure what’s going on yet, but there are police with long guns outside the Capitol Building right now.

…Adding… I’m told by the secretary of state’s office that someone called in a threat saying they were bringing a gun into the Statehouse.

Pics…

…Adding… Giannoulias…

…Adding… From the Secretary of State’s office…

Outside has been cleared. They are sweeping the inside

* Good point…

…Adding… Please be careful about spreading rumors. Thanks. Most of what I’ve heard from legitimately concerned folks so far has not turned out to be true.

…Adding… Capitol basement…

Building sweep still underway. Police with dogs presumably sniffing for explosives just went past our office. https://t.co/aZ0wwvkZ6m pic.twitter.com/GUkQCyhy7x

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) March 12, 2024

…Adding… An “all clear” has been given.

…Adding… From SoS Giannoulias…

Earlier this afternoon, Secretary of State Police received notice of a threat involving the State Capitol Building. Out of an abundance of caution, a building lockdown order was issued and Secretary of State Police and Springfield Police conducted a sweep of the capitol grounds, which revealed no evidence of a credible threat and no imminent danger was identified. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 3 p.m.

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Illinois Is Top Ten In The Nation For Reported Gas Leaks, Fix Illinois’ Aging Natural Gas Lines Now

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program in Chicago, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of aged gas infrastructure that is no longer allowed to be replaced.

Tell Gov. Pritzker and the ICC to restart the program, lives are at risk. Transitioning to electric without a plan will cost homeowners thousands of dollars. We need to fix our dangerous natural gas lines for our safety.

Click on the links to view our ads: Ticking Time Bomb & Real Change.
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IEA’s annual State of Education poll released

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Click here for the full poll. From the IEA…

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) will release its sixth annual IEA State of Education report on Tues., March 12, the only bipartisan poll monitoring Illinoisans’ views on all aspects of public schools. The findings will be shared during a news conference today on Zoom at 10 a.m.

The poll results show Illinoisans believe all students have a right to a public education and support public schools, but they also acknowledge teaching has grown increasingly difficult and support solutions to address the problems. […]

Other key findings from the State of Education report include:

• 76% of people think teaching has become harder over the last few years;
• 79% of the public say they are very worried about the teacher shortage;
• 74% believe funding for public schools should increase;
• 58% believe teachers are underpaid;
• 71% of people say education support staff are underpaid;
• 87% of the public would support changes to make schools safer;
• 91% of Illinoisans believe that students have a right to a public education;
• 80% of residents believe more money should be spent combatting mental health issues among college students.

[…] The poll, conducted by both a democrat polling firm, Normington Petts, and a republican pollster, Next Generation Strategies, surveyed 1,000 Illinoisans Jan. 22-25. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent with 95 percent confidence.

* One of the first questions asked by the pollster was: “Now, I am going to read you a list of priorities for Illinois. Please tell me how important each one is to you, personally, on a scale of zero to ten where a zero means not a priority at all and ten means it is your top priority. You can choose any number from zero to ten. The first one is:”

Note that pension reform is far down the list, and has fallen 12 points since 2019.

* And despite the fact that lowering taxes is a high priority, respondents also said they want more spending…

Do you think funding for public schools in Illinois should increase, decrease, or stay about the same?

Increase ….. 65%
Decrease ….. 9
Stay the same ….. 20
(Don’t know) ….. 6

As you may know, 80% of Illinois public schools are not funded at the level required by the evidence-based model. This funding model was designed to prioritize state funding for students with the most need and school districts with the lowest local funding, allocating resources based on research-based best practices in education. Right now, just 20% of schools are fully funded. Having heard that, do you think funding for public schools in Illinois should increase, decrease, or stay about the same?

Increase ….. 74%
Decrease ….. 8
Stay the same ….. 14
(Don’t know) ….. 5

Do you think that public school teachers in your community are paid too little, too much, or about right?

Too little ….. 58%
Too much ….. 10
About right ….. 24
(Don’t know) ….. 8

As you may know, public schools in Illinois have support staff in classrooms called paraprofessionals. These paraprofessionals work with students with disabilities and behavior challenges. They get paid an average of $15 an hour. Do you think that paraprofessionals in your community are paid too little, too much or about right?

Too little ….. 71%
Too much ….. 3
About right ….. 20
(Don’t know) ….. 6

As you may know, teachers in Illinois do not pay into Social Security and therefore do not collect when they retire. Do you think that Illinois teachers should receive their full pension, see their pensions cut some, or see their pensions eliminated?

Full pension ….. 72%
Cut some ….. 12
Eliminated ….. 6
(Don’t know) ….. 10

Right now, the teacher pension system in Illinois in divided into two tiers. Tier One is for teachers hired before 2011 and Tier Two is for those who began working as teachers in 2011 or more recently. Tier One teachers are eligible for their full pension at age 60 or at age 55 if they have been teachers for 35 years. Tier Two teachers are required to work until the age of 67 to get their full pension benefits. All teachers pay 9% of their salary into the pension system. Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose changes to the teacher pension system that would allow Tier Two teachers to retire before age 67 and still receive their full benefits?

Strongly favor ….. 36%
Somewhat favor ….. 26
Somewhat oppose ….. 14
Strongly oppose ….. 11
(Don’t know) ….. 13

Total Favor ….. 63%
Total Oppose ….. 25%

* And this is probably a big reason why they believe more spending is needed…

Thinking about public school teachers in Illinois over the last few years or so, do you think that teaching has been much easier, somewhat easier, somewhat harder, or much harder for teachers compared to before that?

Much easier ….. 7%
Somewhat easier ….. 10
Somewhat harder ….. 30
Much harder ….. 46
(Don’t know) ….. 7

Total Easier ….. 17%
Total Harder….. 76%

* One more…

Six percent of Democrats, 21 percent of independents and 38 percent of Republicans oppose “Teaching Illinois high school students about racism and its impact in the United States.”

Five percent of Democrats, 15 percent of independents and 20 percent of Republicans oppose “Teaching Illinois high school students about slavery in the United States and its impacts.”

Keep in mind that subgroups will have higher margins of error.

* Methodology…

The following is a tabular report of a live interviewer on both mobiles and landlines (28%), text to web (15%), and online panel (57%) survey among 1,000 adults in Illinois. The survey was conducted from January 22-25, 2024, by trained, professional interviewers following procedures established by Normington, Petts & Associates. All polls are subject to errors caused by interviewing a sample of persons, rather than the entire population. In 95 cases out of 100, the responses to this survey should fall within ±3.1 percentage points of those that would have been obtained from interviewing the entire population of adults in Illinois. The sampling error for subgroups of the survey will be greater.

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CGFA’s revised revenue forecasts are slightly higher than the governor’s budget office projects

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability has released its revised revenue projections. Here’s the bottom line for this fiscal year…

• In February 2024, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) released their revised outlook for FY 2024 General Funds in the FY 2024 Budget Book, with a FY 2024 total of $52.216 billion. This figure is $1.605 billion above the FY 2024 Enacted Budget’s assumed revenue figure of $50.611 billion and $199 million above their November 2023 estimate of $52.017 billion.

• The Commission’s March 2024 estimate of $52.590 billion is $374 million above GOMB’s February 2024 revised forecast for FY 2024.

* FY25…

• In the FY 2025 Budget Book, GOMB projects a FY 2025 General Funds revenue total of $52.993 billion. The Commission’s FY 2025 estimate of $52.077 billion is $916 million lower than this figure.

• However, it should be stressed the Commission’s revenue estimate is based on current law. The FY 2025 revenue projection from GOMB includes a number of revenue adjustments in its calculation that would require changes to State law. The net value of these revenue adjustments is approximately $1.098 billion.

If you remove the proposed changes to state law (essentially the tax hikes), CGFA’s estimate is actually $182 million higher than the governor’s budget office. From CGFA’s Executive Director Clayton Klenke: “That is a small difference given the $52 billion base and can mostly be explained by the fact that we had access to the February receipts which showed a pretty solid month and also a $100 million transfer in related to the Income Tax rebates that was transferred back to GRF in January.”

Lots more here.

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Bernie Sanders jumps into state Senate primary; Latino group backs Spyropoulos against Martinez

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 20th Senate District…

Today, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced his endorsement of Graciela Guzmán in her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 20th State Senate District. Sanders’s endorsement, coming just a week before Election Day in the primary race, provides a major boost for Guzmán’s campaign in one of the most progressive state senate districts in the state.

“Graciela will stand up to the political and economic establishment, fight for housing justice, and serve as a fierce ally of the working class,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “From fighting for health care as a human right, to demanding that the wealthy pay their fair share, Graciela has the courage to challenge the status quo. I hope that the people of Illinois’ 20th district will join me in supporting her.”

“I am so proud to have the endorsement of a progressive icon like Sen. Sanders,” said Graciela Guzmán. “The 20th State Senate District deserves a fighter who will advocate for justice for our communities without being beholden to party leaders or corporate donors. Bernie’s endorsement sends a clear signal to 20th District voters about who the true and proven progressive champion is in this race. I look forward to joining Sen. Sanders and progressives in Illinois and across the country as we fight for healthcare for all, affordable housing, increased community investment, and more.”

Graciela Guzmán is the most progressive candidate in the 20th District race and is proud to have earned the endorsement of the Chicago Teachers Union, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, and more. Guzmán faces three challengers in the race, including one candidate who has taken millions of dollars from Springfield insiders and corporate PACs and another who has dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own wealth into his campaign. Election Day is March 19.

The incumbent is appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago). Sanders has consistently performed quite well in that part of the world.

* Speaking of the 20th…

it's officially silly season @capitolfax https://t.co/rSVyOwg6Uf pic.twitter.com/7HkSeCsxNE

— jackfruited bug (@PotatoesOGrady) March 12, 2024

That’s so bizarre. A friends and family program apparently without any actual friends or family members.

* I’m not sure this will mean much of anything because it’s very late and the group isn’t exactly flush with cash and not well known. But Spyropoulos is up against a Latina incumbent, Iris Martinez, and the Latino Leadership Council is also backing Sen. Natalie Toro, Martinez’s 20th Senate District candidate, so that makes it mentionable here…

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk candidate, Mariyana Spyropoulos, has received the endorsement of the Latino Leadership Council. The organization, which is made up of Latino elected officials, business and community leaders, was formed in 2018 to get more Latinos involved in the political process from running for office, running campaigns fundraising and voting.

A three term incumbent on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, this is Commissioner Spyropoulos’ first time running for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is one of the largest unified court systems in the United States.

“Our slating process first and foremost considers the track record and qualifications of individuals seeking elected office,” says LLC spokesperson Jocelyn Nevarez. “Commissioner Spyropoulos is a clear choice for Clerk of the Circuit Court.”

Currently, the clerk’s office has 1,400 employees and an operating budget of $130 million.

“I believe my background as former president of the MWRD and as an attorney gives me the understanding of how to run a large agency and what is needed for users of our court system to navigate it efficiently and effectively,” says Spyropoulos.”

Last week, Spyropoulos was endorsed by U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (3rd CD) along with other progressive elected officials from Chicago’s Northwest Side.

* Politico…

— In IL-07, Kina Collins is holding a presser today to push back against super PAC efforts to push back against her campaign. United Democracy Project, affiliated with AIPAC, has spent $44,000 on mailers opposing Collin. …. Nikhil Bhatia remains on the ballot in the race after the Board of Elections voted unanimously to keep him on. It concludes what Bhatia calls “frivolous challenges” by City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the third candidate trying to unseat veteran Congressman Danny Davis.

— In IL-17, Joe McGraw has been endorsed by U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana. McGraw is running against Scott Crowl in the GOP primary.

* A few more stories…

Candidates make final push in Illinois Supreme Court race that raised diversity issues

* 2022 rematch, see who’s competing in the 105th statehouse seat in the 2024 GOP primary: Rientz cited several aspects of illegal immigration and asylum-seeking as a key issue and wants the repeal of Public Act 103-035 (a bill Tipsword served as co-sponsor) which allows for non-citizens to serve as members of law enforcement. He calls for public education reform to encourage economic success and a more light-handed approach to governance.

* Very few voters often decide fate of tax referendums, report finds: A new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas — whose office mails out property tax bills — found that in 75 binding property tax-related referendums put on ballots between 2020 and 2023, the average turnout was 32% of all registered voters. That number always fell below the overall election turnout, meaning that some voters skipped those questions entirely. In all, 70% of the referendums were approved.

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Justice Cunningham needs to come clean on Ed Burke vote

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. From yesterday…

Today, Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes made the following statement about the Illinois Supreme Court’s inability to decide on the suspension of convicted Edward Burke’s law license.

“The Illinois Supreme Court’s inability to render a decision on the suspension of convicted felon Edward Burke’s law license exposes long-standing conflicts in our judiciary. For years, Ed Burke, in his own words on FBI tape, admitted that he controlled the judicial appointment process, and my opponent was the beneficiary of this insider appointment process.

“In this instance, a recusal by a Supreme Court Justice is effectively a vote in favor of Ed Burke keeping his law license, after he was convicted of public corruption by a federal jury.

“My opponent is now asking the voters to elect her for the next ten years. She needs to let the voters know where she stands, whether or not she has recused herself, and the reasons why.

“Convicted felons should not be practicing law in the state of Illinois, period. If the Supreme Court cannot make a decision because of conflicts of interest, the Court should appoint elected Appellate Justices to fill-in so that a decision can be made, without delay. It’s a travesty of justice that a convicted felon can keep his law license, just because half the court is conflicted.”

* I tried asking appointed Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham’s campaign how she voted on Burke, but got nothing. Same goes for Dave McKinney…

“My opponent is now asking the voters to elect her for the next 10 years,” Reyes said. “She needs to let the voters know where she stands, whether or not she has recused herself, and the reasons why.”

Multiple times Monday, WBEZ asked Cunningham’s campaign whether she had done just that, what her view was on the court’s paralysis involving Burke’s license and whether there were any remedies to the situation.

A campaign spokesman declined to answer those questions, directing them instead to a spokesman with the Illinois Supreme Court, who also has declined multiple times to identify which justices chose not to act on suspending Burke’s law license and their reasons why.

A Supreme Court rule allows state judges publicly to disclose conflicts that may require their disqualification from a case.

I assume Justice Cunningham recused herself because she was basically brought to the high court by Burke’s spouse, former Chief Justice Anne Burke. Even so, she needs to be transparent.

* OK, now let’s go back to the original WBEZ/Sun-Times story…

Court spokesman Christopher Bonjean did not respond to a WBEZ request to identify any of the recused justices or the reasonings behind their recusals but in brief emailed remarks, he noted the court’s hands were tied.

“I believe some state constitutions allow for substitution of other judges (say from the appellate court) in certain instances,” he told WBEZ, “but the Illinois Constitution does not have a provision for that.”

So, I asked Justice Reyes how he reconciled that statement from the court’s spokesperson to his demand that elected appellate justices be brought up to vote on Burke’s law license…

Because the Illinois Constitution and statutes are silent on matters of attorney discipline, the procedures to be followed are entirely within the discretion of the Supreme Court. Under these circumstances, where there are conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety, due process and substantial justice mandate that the Court exercise its administrative powers and appoint substitutes for those Justices that have conflicts. The Court should order the replacement of conflicted Justices with alternates selected from the elected Appellate Judges.

Has that ever happened before?…

To my knowledge, no. I am unaware of any Supreme Court in our history that has been unable or unwilling to convene a quorum in an attorney disciplinary proceeding.

This is a unique circumstance involving discipline of a powerful attorney who was convicted by a federal jury of official misconduct. He controlled judicial slate-making for decades, admitted in FBI tapes that he could even influence the decision of the father of a judge that he “got elected,” and has a spouse who was a Supreme Court Justice, the colleague of many who are still on the Supreme Court.

There is simply no precedent for this situation. But even without precedent, the Supreme Court needs to preserve the integrity of our court system and must dive into uncomfortable and uncharted waters to ensure that convicted felons are never permitted to practice law in the State of Illinois, even if he was responsible for appointment of those judges.

The Illinois Constitution provides guidance in matters involving Supreme Court conflicts of interest. Specifically, in disciplinary proceedings involving a Supreme Court Justice, the Constitution mandates that an Appellate Justice must replace a sitting Supreme Court Justice. See, Illinois Constitution, Article VI, Section 15(h), mandating that if there is a misconduct proceeding against a Supreme Court Justice, then there shall be no Supreme Court Judge permitted to hear the matter and “[i]nstead, an alternate Appellate Court Judge not from the same Judicial District as the subject Supreme Court Judge shall replace the subject Supreme Court Judge.

Your thoughts?

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Jonas Brothers added to Illinois State Fair 2024 lineup

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois State Fair…

* NBC Chicago…

The 2024 Illinois State Fair’s Grandstand headliners lineup just got even bigger.

According to an announcement posted to the Illinois State Fair Facebook page, the Jonas Brothers have been added to the grandstand lineup of headliners.

The show is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15, with tickets expected to go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, the post added. Tickets start at $85.

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It’s just a bill

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Chalkbeat…

Illinois state lawmakers filed two bills last week aimed at reversing the Chicago Board of Education’s decisions to rethink school choice policies and remove school resource officers from campuses.

The bills focus on board moves that have drawn both support and sharp pushback in recent months from school communities and elected officials. Those decisions include a plan to reconsider the district’s system of school choice — including charter, selective enrollment, magnet, and gifted schools — and to create a new school safety plan that bans the use of school resource officers, or on-campus police. […]

Both bills have gathered support from other Chicago-based state lawmakers and powerful allies, including House Speaker Chris Welch. […]

One of the state bills, House Bill 5008, would allow local school councils to contract with the Chicago Police Department for school resource officers. It would counteract a board vote two weeks ago to create a new school safety policy by June 27 that would end the use of school resource officers, effectively removing officers from 39 schools that currently have them, by next year. […]

The second bill, House Bill 5766, would prevent the closure of any school with selective admissions criteria — such as the city’s 11 selective high schools — until Feb. 1, 2027. The bill also calls for a halt to any changes to admissions criteria for selective schools or any decrease in funding to selective schools until 2027.

* Sun-Times…

Annoying “junk” fees added to your purchases are the target of proposed legislation in Springfield, an effort that mirrors a national campaign to rein in surprise charges and increase transparency in pricing.

The legislation by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, and state Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, would mandate upfront disclosures of the total price of goods or services for a wide range of industries, from entertainment to housing. It would also give the attorney general’s office more power to go after companies that add surprise fees.

A hearing is expected to be held Tuesday before the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee. […]

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul supports the legislation, saying in a statement that junk fees are responsible for “decreasing trust in the marketplace and putting honest businesses at a disadvantage.” […]

The legislation dovetails with President Joe Biden’s effort to curtail junk fees. Such surprise fees cost Americans “tens of billions of dollars per year,” according to the Federal Trade Commission.

* WAND…

Illinois state lawmakers could help many survivors of gun violence by passing plans this year to re-open cold cases and provide more transparency on homicide investigations. Advocates argue this policy could finally give their families closure.

Black Illinoisans are 37 times more likely to die from gun violence than white residents. Black murders are also 23% less likely to be solved than murders of white people, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. […]

[Rep. Kam Buckner] and other Democratic lawmakers hope to pass a plan allowing immediate family members to petition law enforcement to review unsolved murder cases after three years of inactivity. Advocates told the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee Monday that families cannot properly heal unless they receive frequent updates from police that potentially lead to arrest. […]

A separate bill could require every law enforcement agency in Illinois to publish monthly data on homicides, arrests of alleged perpetrators, and the status of homicide investigations. Law enforcement would be tasked with submitting the information to Illinois State Police and their official website for the public to view.

* WGEM…

Illinois lawmakers are looking at a proposal that could remove an affirmative defense for someone accused of hazing.

Sponsored by state Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, the bill would remove the defense for someone accused of hazing that their victim agreed to participate in a hazardous situation.

Stadelman said it means someone agreeing to be somewhere hazing could happen isn’t a defense for the person accused of hazing them.

“It just strengthens the state’s law,” Stadelman said. “It’ll just encourage more people to come forward and not have to be put on a witness stand and try to explain why they were at the event in the first place or in a situation in the first place when the situation was not their fault to begin with.”

The bill has already passed out of the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety. It now heads to the Senate floor.

* HB5563 is assigned to tomorrow’s Labor and Commerce Committee…

Creates the Child Labor Law of 2024. Reinserts provisions of the Child Labor Law. Sets forth additional provisions concerning definitions; exemptions; employer requirements; restrictions on employment of minors; employment certificates; civil penalties; and criminal penalties. Repeals the Child Labor Law. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2025, except provisions concerning minors featured in vlogs and trust funds are effective July 1, 2024.

* Sen. Natalie Toro…

State Senator Natalie Toro is leading a measure to make work permits more accessible and attainable to new arrivals.

“Filling out a lengthy work permit application alone, in a language you may not be fluent in, while in a crowded, noisy shelter, can be very difficult for new arrivals to complete accurately,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “This legislation will ensure new arrivals have expert support in the confusing application process, so that they are able to join the workforce more seamlessly.”

Senate Bill 3296 would create a grant program for community-based organizations to receive funding to help them provide free assistance to newly arrived immigrants going through the work permit application process. By establishing this program and providing grants to local organizations, Toro hopes new arrivals would be able to receive support more quickly so they can start their career and settle in the city sooner.

Nearly 5,000 immigrants in Chicago shelters qualify for work permits, but only 30% of those who qualify are currently employed. That’s because while many qualify, the process of applying and securing a work permit is largely inaccessible for new arrivals. The process is time-consuming and complex, and is more difficult with a long portion completely in English. For new arrivals who may not fully understand English and are experiencing a lot of instability, tackling the application process can seem insurmountable. […]

Senate Bill 3296 has been assigned to the Senate Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee.

* Illinois Education Association’s fact sheet for HB4652 and SB3215…

Background
Student teaching is an important experience that gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in their teacher preparation programs. Not unlike internships in other professions, student teaching prepares candidates to assume the responsibilities of their chosen profession. However, unlike other professions where paid internships are now standard, student teaching remains unpaid.

Issue
Student teaching requires candidates to do the work of a full-time teacher which severely limits their ability to stay gainfully employed. Student teaching is a significant financial stressor which deters many students from pursuing a degree in education.

Illinois statute allows for paid student teaching, but few school districts or institutes of higher education can financially support these programs. The Illinois Education Association (IEA) believes that student teachers should receive compensation during this important practicum experience.

Paid student teaching significantly reduces the financial stress of pursuing a degree in education and will encourage more students to enter the teaching profession. States such as Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado, and Maryland provide their candidates with a student teaching stipend.

Rationale for Support
Illinois’ student teachers deserve compensation. This bill will strengthen and diversify our teacher pipeline – ensuring that all student teachers receive fair compensation for their labor.

* House Republican Press release…

Who: House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, State Representative Bill Hauter, and State Representative Dave Severin

What: Leader McCombie and House Republican members will discuss the ongoing issues at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and new legislation filed to provide solutions.

When: 11:15 AM on Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Where: Capitol Blueroom in Springfield (event will also be streamed on Blueroom Stream)

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*** UPDATED x1 *** ARDC administrator lays out the case against Tom DeVore

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* An ARDC administrator has laid out her case against Tom DeVore. The harshest potential penalty is disbarment. The least is a reprimand…

Lea S. Gutierrez, Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (“ARDC”), by her attorney, Rachel C. Miller, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 753(b), complains of Respondent, Thomas Guy DeVore (”Respondent”), who was licensed to practice law in Illinois on November 10, 2011, and alleges that Respondent has engaged in the following conduct which subjects him to discipline pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 770

* And here we go…

COUNT I: Conflict of Interest – Inappropriate Sexual Relationship with a Client […]

By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. representing a client, Riley Craig, when there is a significant risk that the representation of the client will be materially limited by a personal interest of the lawyer, specifically, Respondent’s fiduciary duties to Riley Craig as a client while engaging in a sexual relationship with her, in violation of Rule 1.7(a)(2) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and

b. having sexual relations with a client after the client-lawyer relationship commenced, by conduct including initiating a sexual relationship with his client, Riley Craig, after the client-lawyer relationship commenced, in violation of Rule 1.8(j) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

COUNT II: Conflict of Interest – Improper Business Transaction with a Client […]

By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. entering into a business transaction with a client, by conduct including entering into an operating agreement in which Respondent and Riley Craig were each members and which formed the basis for Riley Craig and Respondent entering into a loan agreement for $601,829 on behalf of Future You, without 1) informing Riley Craig that she had the right to seek advice from independent counsel; and 2) obtaining the informed consent of Riley Craig, in a writing signed by Riley Craig, to the essential terms of the operating agreement, in violation of Rule 1.8(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

COUNT III: Using Means for No Other Purpose than to Embarrass, Burden, or Delay a Third Person and Filing Frivolous Litigation […]

By the reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);

b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and

c. engaging in conduct, while representing a client, that has no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person, by conduct including engaging in litigation, contact, or communication, as described in paragraphs 46, 48, and 49, above, while representing Future You, in violation of Rule 4.4(a) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

COUNT IV: Using Means for No Other Purpose than to Embarrass, Burden, or Delay a Third Person and Filing Frivolous Litigation) […]

By the reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 OP 55, based on Future You business issues, in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);

b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 OP 55, based on Future You business issues, in Bond County, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and

c. engaging in conduct, while representing a client, that has no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person, by conduct including engaging in litigation, contact, or communication, as described in paragraph 59, above, in violation of Rule 4.4(a) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

COUNT V: Conduct Prejudicial to the Administration of Justice […]

By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, and for filing 2023 OP 55 in Bond County despite knowing that Respondent had no good faith basis for an order of protection against Riley Criag, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);

b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 and 2023 OP 55, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and

c. engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, by conduct including violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy case by filing and being sanctioned in an order and opinion by Judge Mary P. Gorman, in violation of Rule 8.4(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

COUNT VI: Contacting an Individual the Attorney Knows to be Represented by Counsel […]

By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:

a. in the course of representing a client, communicating about the subject of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer in the matter, without the consent of the other lawyer or without authorization to do so by law or a court order, by conduct including emailing Riley Craig about her bankruptcy in the emails described in paragraphs 74 and 76, above, despite knowing Riley Craig was represented by counsel, and without the consent from Riley Craig’s attorney or the authority under law or court order, in violation of Rule 4.2 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and

b. engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, by conduct including violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy case and being sanctioned in an order and opinion by Judge Mary P. Gorman, in violation of Rule 8.4(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).

WHEREFORE, the Administrator respectfully requests that this matter be assigned to a panel of the Hearing Board, that a hearing be held, and that the panel make findings of fact, conclusions of fact and law, and a recommendation for such discipline as is warranted.

Respectfully submitted,
Lea S. Gutierrez, Administrator
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission

Go read the whole thing. It’s quite something and it’s been a very long time since a former Illinois attorney general candidate faced such accusations.

*** UPDATE *** Response…

Attorney Thomas DeVore responds to ARDC complaint: "I will defend myself at the hearing against what are intentional acts of hate and spite from an extremely troubled individual."

Full comment below: https://t.co/AIDqlsRnTg pic.twitter.com/G6E6tW34o8

— Bishop On Air (@BishopOnAir) March 12, 2024

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Open thread

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

4 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Mayor Johnson outlines what he’ll need to sign off on Bears’ lakefront stadium plan. Crain’s…

* Related stories…

∙ Daily Herald: ‘We are hoping that things are not as they appear’: Arlington Heights not giving up on Bears stadium amid new reports
∙ Sun-Times: Bears urged to consider Michael Reese hospital site for domed stadium to avoid lakefront legal battle
∙ Tribune | Chicago Bears’ domed stadium proposal sparks excitement, questions — and early opposition

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WBEZ | Candidate for Illinois Supreme Court decries high court’s inaction against ex-Ald. Ed Burke: Democratic state Appellate Justice Jesse Reyes, who is running for the seat once held by Burke’s wife, Anne, cited reporting by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times to attack his political rival in the high-stakes judicial contest in the March 19th primary. On Monday, the two news outlets disclosed the state Supreme Court last month did not act on a push by the state Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission to suspend Burke’s law license based on his December corruption conviction.

* Crain’s | Illinois counties defend their property tax sales despite U.S. Supreme Court ruling: In the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that threatens to shut down the long-standing practice of governments seizing homes over unpaid property taxes, officials from eight Illinois counties have asked a federal judge to rule that the high court’s decision doesn’t apply here.

* Sun-Times | Taxation without participation? Low turnout lets slim minority decide ballot questions hitting voters’ wallets: A study found less than 30% of registered Cook County voters determined the fate of 75 property tax-related referendums between 2020 and 2023. “Voters are given the power to make these key decisions, but most don’t bother to vote,” Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said. “And when their taxes go up, they are the first to complain.”

Governor Pritzker will join a sustainability panel at Aspen Ideas Climate Summit 4:15 pm CT. Click here to watch (join Evening Plenary: 5:00-6:30 pm ET.”)

* Here’s the rest…

N’DIGO | Q&A – Mary Flowers – Illinois State Representative:

* Sun-Times | Illinois ‘junk’ fee legislation calling for price transparency, from airline or concert tickets to rent: The legislation, by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, and state Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, would mandate upfront disclosures of the total price of goods or services for a wide range of industries from entertainment to housing. It would also give the attorney general’s office more power to go after companies that add surprise fees. A hearing is expected to be held Tuesday before the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee.

* WMBD | 2022 rematch, see who’s competing in the 105th statehouse seat in the 2024 GOP primary: State Rep. Dennis Tipsword seeks re-election to the 105th statehouse seat and for the second election cycle is being challenged by Donald Ray Rients in the Republican primary. Tipsword and Rients were part of a four-way primary race in 2022 that also included Mike Kirkton of Gridley – who is running for the state senate this time around – and Kyle Ham of Bloomington.

* WMBD | Lt. Gov. Stratton comments on proposed grocery tax removal: “Viewing that as a regressive tax, the governor’s proposal makes it clear that was not something he wanted to continue,” she said. Stratton added that local municipalities can enforce their own taxes if they would like to.

* Tribune | O’Neill Burke rips Foxx in speech days before state’s attorney primary: Without naming her, O’Neill Burke had some of her harshest assessments yet for the current top prosecutor, Kim Foxx, who O’Neill Burke said “doesn’t believe in accountability.” She repeated criticism that Foxx is to blame for a staffing shortage and poor office morale and said the office’s working relationship with the Chicago Police Department “doesn’t exist right now.”

* Tribune | Candidates make final push in Illinois Supreme Court race that raised diversity issues: Supporters of both Cunningham and Appellate Judge Jesse Reyes say choosing an experienced voice for the seat is especially important at a time when state courts could be faced with questions on issues like abortion, criminal justice and immigration. Given Cunningham’s party backing in the Cook County district race, Reyes’ supporters are also framing him as a candidate free of the party’s control.

* Injustice Watch | A perennial candidate pins her hopes on her sixth run for judge: Baumann, 55, says she has door-knocked at least 100 times over her more than a decade long effort to become a Cook County judge. She carefully guides me around the block, introducing me to residents who are conveniently home and, coincidentally, her supporters. To many in the area, Baumann is familiar. In recent years, the West Side has become the focus of her judicial campaigns and her pro bono legal work. One resident, Shirley Fields, tells me she’s supporting Baumann because of her work in the community.

* NBC Chicago | Several Dolton trustees call on mayor, unnamed trustee to resign: NBC Chicago obtained copies of complaints accusing Mayor Tiffany Henyard and an unnamed Dolton trustee of sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination. The Illinois Department of Human Rights told NBC Chicago’s Regina Waldroup that it’s investigating. At the center is a trip they took last year to Las Vegas and a sexual encounter one woman says was not consensual.

* Block Club | Fifth Measles Case Found In Chicago As Officials Ramp Up Vaccination Efforts: Health officials confirmed the two newest cases in adults at the city-run shelter for migrants in Pilsen. Two children at the shelter were previously found to have the highly contagious disease. […] In addition to the vaccination clinics at the Pilsen shelter, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications is now coordinating with the city’s health department to start assessing and vaccinating new arrivals at the landing zone as part of the intake process, according to the news release.

* Sun-Times | City shuts down work on wooden ‘tiny house’ structure at Dan Ryan homeless encampment: “It is the most heartbreaking thing ever, a veteran, a senior veteran dying in a tent,” McLuckie said. “That’s what I want to avoid in the future. Nobody should have to die in a tent, especially somebody who served our country.” The group planned to finish construction of the shelter over the weekend, but the Department of Buildings placed an off limits/do not enter sticker and a stop work order on a structure, “because it was built without plans or permits,” according to a department spokesman.

* WBEZ | CTA announces spring cleaning for rail and bus stations: These renovations are part of the CTA’s Refresh & Renew program. The program will spend about $6.5 million repairing and improving 13 rail stations and three bus turnarounds through the end of May. These changes include painting and power-washing at all locations, as well as lighting upgrades, improved platform amenities and removal of outdated fixtures and equipment.

* Will County Forest Preserve District | Migration watch: Monarch butterflies have landed in the U.S.: Spring is creeping in ever so slowly all around us, and here’s another exciting indication that warmer temperatures are right around the corner: Monarch butterflies are winging their way toward us. In the eastern portion of the United States, they’ve been spotted as far north as Marietta, Georgia.

* Tribune | Strike averted after nurses and UChicago Medicine reach agreement: “Our decision to call a strike forced management to address a number of our outstanding demands at the bargaining table,” said Stephanie Gamboa, a nurse in the dermatology clinic and a bargaining team member, in a news release. “We’re looking forward to ratifying our new contract, which will improve working conditions for nurses and health care for our patients.”

* NYT | Trump Aides, Taking Over R.N.C., Order Mass Layoffs: Days after allies took over the Republican National Committee, Donald J. Trump’s advisers are imposing mass layoffs on the party, with more than 60 officials, including senior staff members, laid off or asked to resign and then reapply for their jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter.

* CBS | 3 children, 2 adults killed in school bus crash in Illinois: The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. local time in Schuyler County near Rushville, about 230 miles southwest of Chicago and 57 miles northwest of the state capital of Springfield. The school bus crossed over into oncoming traffic “for unknown reasons” in front of the truck, which was hauling sand, police said. Both vehicles were “engulfed in flames,” police said.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Mar 12, 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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Business groups ask Illinois Supreme Court to reverse appellate decision on Bring Chicago Home: ‘The possibilities for ballot abuse by municipal councils across the state are endless’

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The basic gist of the appeal…

In this case, Plaintiffs filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County alleging that a referendum question placed on the ballot by the Chicago City Council proposing to raise the real estate transfer tax on some properties, and in the same question, lower the tax on other properties, was constitutionally ineligible to appear on the ballot because the question violated both the free and equal elections clause and the applicable provisions of the Municipal Code. … As a result of this combination, a voter wishing to support the decrease portion alone must also support the increase with the same vote, and a voter wishing to support only the increase, must also support the decrease.

The Circuit Court agreed and enjoined the Defendant, the Chicago Board of Elections, from counting or releasing any votes cast on the question. The Appellate Court reversed that decision, concluding that Plaintiffs’ “complaint is premature” because the referendum “is a step in the legislative process.” The Appellate Court’s decision is incorrect and should be reversed because it fails to recognize the critical fact that the “free and equal elections” clause protects voting rights, and once a voter is forced to vote on an unconstitutional question, the violation of that right has occurred and the injury to that right cannot be subsequently remedied. Indeed that is why, nearly fifty years ago, this Court recognized that “the framers of our constitution intended this court alone to determine whether constitutional requirements for a proposed amendment were satisfied.” […]

The Appellate Court’s decision, if permitted to stand, eliminates any pre-election challenge to the constitutionality of a referendum question placed on the ballot by municipal alderpersons, regardless of how blatantly unconstitutional the question may be. The possibilities for ballot abuse by municipal councils across the state are endless.

The Appellate Court’s decision also stands in direct conflict to the same court’s most recent decision regarding municipal referenda. In Henyard v. Municipal Officers of Dolton, 2022 IL App (1st) 220898, the First District Court explicitly considered its jurisdiction over a pre-election complaint that two referendum questions placed on the ballot by municipal alderpersons violated Article III, Section 3. The Court concluded it had jurisdiction and then invalidated the questions as being “fatally vague and ambiguous” in violation of Article III, Section 3.

The Appellate Court’s decision also sets two up different standards for judicial review of municipal referenda questions. Under the Appellate Court’s decision, courts would have no jurisdiction to consider a pre-election constitutional challenge to a referendum placed on the ballot by municipal alderpersons, but courts would have jurisdiction over a question (even the same question) placed on the ballot by citizen initiative. Why questions initiated by citizens should get more judicial scrutiny than questions initiated by alderpersons, the Court does not say. The free and equal elections clause draws no such distinction. […]

In its decision, the Appellate Court attempts to distinguish Henyard by pointing out that in that case the Court issued its decision after the election, and not before. In both cases, however, the Article III, Section 3 challenge was filed before the election, not after. In fact, the Henyard Court enjoined the County Clerk (the election authority for suburban Cook County) from counting or publishing the results before the election, not after. The fact that the Henyard court waited until after the election to issue its final decision should not affect the court’s jurisdiction.

More on Heartland…

Chicago social services nonprofit Heartland Alliance is working to spin off its health care division and other units and then plans to dissolve itself amid financial troubles.

Discussions about breaking off Heartland Alliance Health and other segments of the parent organization began in fall 2023, when severe financial challenges surfaced, Ed Stellon, chief external affairs officer, said in a statement to Crain’s. […]

Aside from Heartland Alliance Health, units being considered for separation include Heartland Human Care Services, Heartland Alliance International and a program within Heartland Alliance called National Immigrant Justice Center, according to Stellon. Heartland Housing, which provided affordable housing services, is shutting down. […]

Stellon pointed to the destabilizing effect on health care organizations of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflation wave that followed. A growing demand for services, combined with rising costs on everything from labor to equipment and supplies, put pressure on the already-thin margins providers typically face. The situation for Heartland Alliance Health worsened once migrants seeking asylum began arriving in Chicago last year, further stretching its resources.

* WBEZ last month…

Dozens of employees are taking a 20% pay cut at Alivio Medical Center, a key health care provider for migrants and asylum seekers on the West Side.

Those getting their hours reduced from 40 to 32 a week range from executives to medical assistants, nurses and front-desk staff, spokeswoman Terri Rivera said in a recent interview. She has since left Alivio. Doctors were spared from the cut so they can take care of more patients to generate more revenue, Rivera said, though they could be trying to do so with less help. For example, she said a medical assistant now might share their time between two doctors instead of one. […]

Rivera said a host of factors fueled the furloughs, including supplies becoming more expensive, COVID-19 money that is running out and treating fewer patients. Alivio’s CEO Esther Corpuz was not available for an interview, nor was anyone who could discuss the health center’s financials.

But Igoe said information Alivio shared with the union shows that patient visits have increased since at least the summer and as of November surpassed 6,000 visits that month.

* Sun-Times last month…

Two of Chicago’s largest medical groups laid off employees Thursday, citing money troubles.

University of Chicago Medical Center officials say the hospital is facing the “same challenges” other health systems have, which led to the 180 layoffs.

“The fact is many outside pressures including higher supply and labor costs are converging as healthcare delivery rapidly evolves,” president Tom Jackiewicz and Mark Anderson, executive vice president of medical affairs, wrote in a memo to employees on Thursday. “Additionally, we grew our staff to address the pandemic, which was necessary for that moment but cannot be maintained.”

* Last September…

Illinois Times has learned Memorial Health’s recently announced layoffs totaled about 300 – with 120 involving people in leadership positions – and that the cuts will save the Springfield-based health care system an estimated $40 million a year.

The new information, expanding on an earlier statement from the nonprofit system that said there were “several hundred” layoffs, came from Memorial Health’s president and chief executive officer, Ed Curtis. He told Illinois Times in an interview that the cuts were part of “tough choices” to sustain the nonprofit system through an unprecedented nationwide staffing shortage that sent payroll costs soaring.

Curtis said the cuts, mostly to administrative and support positions and mostly avoiding frontline care staff, were a “last resort” after other cost-trimming measures. They were all needed to preserve core services and help return the system to “break-even” by fall 2024, he said.

* Last June…

St. Margaret’s Health is shuttering its 120-year-old Spring Valley hospital Friday, just months after the abrupt closure of its hospital in nearby Peru.

SMH president and CEO Tim Muntz pinned the blame solely on “one bank’s actions on June 5, 2023.” He told the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board that the hospital’s primary lender is cutting off access to their funds.

* Last May…

On Nov. 1, 2022, the CEO of the only hospital in Logan County — Lincoln Memorial — announced in a news release that the three maternity suites dedicated to obstetrical care at the 25-bed hospital would close the following month, “ending labor and delivery services at the nonprofit hospital.”

After the Dec. 31 closure, the release said, then-current Memorial Health patients could coordinate with the two OB-GYN doctors who delivered babies at Lincoln Memorial to “choose another hospital” for their delivery.

On Jan. 29, a mother delivered a baby on an Interstate 55 off-ramp near Elkhart.

According to 911 call audio obtained by WGLT, the mother and the driver of the vehicle were heading from Lincoln to Springfield, likely toward Memorial Health’s flagship hospital in the state capital.

* Full Catholic Charities press release…

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago – the region’s largest private human services provider – announces the launch of its Vision 2030 strategic plan and, with that, several decisions designed to realign its services for greater impact over the years ahead.

This week, Catholic Charities is notifying government funders that, beginning July 1, it will transition out of 75 government contracts that together fund 12 percent of its current operating budget.

“After careful evaluation and discussion, we have decided to reduce our footprint as a government contractor – in order to increase the time, attention and resources we devote to the services we are uniquely equipped to offer as a private humanitarian organization,” said Sally Blount, President and CEO of Catholic Charities. “Over the last decade, navigating the government services sector has grown more complex, and funding has not kept up with the high rates of inflation. That means that many contracts no longer cover their direct costs, much less the increasing costs of administering them.”

“We remain steadfast in our founding mission to serve people in need across Chicago, Cook and Lake counties – regardless of their faith, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or race – while adapting to the changing needs of our times,” said Blount. “Going forward, Catholic Charities will continue to serve the same populations and provide many of the same services but will do so with greater reliance on private funding.”

Catholic Charities will work closely with government and peer partners to minimize disruptions in service during the contract transitions, including setting up special helplines for the people affected by the changes. The contracts cover various services, from childcare and youth programs to behavioral health counseling, senior care, adult protection, veteran services, and call centers.

This announcement comes after a comprehensive, year-long, strategic planning effort undertaken by the Board of Directors and leadership in partnership with nonprofit expert The Bridgespan Group, thanks to the funding of a long-time donor. This planning came as the final step in a more than three-year journey, undertaken by the Board after Blount was recruited to be CEO, to strengthen Catholic Charities’ governance, operations, and financial oversight.

“As a humanitarian organization that served non-stop during the COVID-19 pandemic, this was an important time for our Board and staff to reflect, learn, and re-imagine together,” said Michael Monticello, Board Chair. “Over the past year, we have come to understand that if we want to increase our impact over the years ahead, we must sharpen our strategic focus, while simultaneously reducing the time our staff spends navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain government funding environment.”

This decision means that over the coming months, Catholic Charities will reduce its staff by roughly 300 employees: 280 who work across the affected government contracts and 20 in related administrative areas.

“We announce these personnel decisions with a heavy heart and profound gratitude and respect for the contributions and many years of service given by each of these team members,” said Blount. “We will support them through advance notice, severance benefits, and assistance with job searches, including applying for open positions within our organization and our sister organizations (Mercy Home, Misericordia, and Maryville) and with our peer providers who will take over these contracts.”

Caring for the nearly 1,000 staff who will continue to provide essential programs and services is also a top priority. “Carefully balancing the needs of the people we are called and honored to serve with the needs of the amazing employees who serve them is critical to our mission,” said Blount.

“Our Board and staff remain committed to serving as our region’s cornerstone partner, employer, and provider. We will continue to operate at a significant scale, between $175-200 million annually, and provide essential programs and services across our three impact areas – immediate access to basic needs, children and family services, and seniors and housing – while preparing for the future needs of our region,” said Monticello.

Under the new strategic plan, Catholic Charities will pilot several new programs and expansions designed to increase services for low-income mothers and seniors across Cook and Lake counties. Through the Church’s parish network, it will expand its community-based footprint on Chicago’s south, west, and southwest sides. The Board also recently voted to open a new community center in the southwest suburb of Summit in Fall 2025 and to fund a standing Rapid Response Team – formalizing the crisis response capabilities created during the COVID-19 pandemic that have been further honed by collaborating with community and government partners to resettle 20,000 migrants over the past 18 months.

“Over the past four years, Catholic Charities’ Board and leadership have undertaken an important strategic exercise – one that all organizations of substance must regularly do,” said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago. “I laud them for their courage, vision and commitment to deepening the Church’s impact on behalf of the region’s most vulnerable.”

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Today’s must-watch video

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CBS 2 Political Reporter Chris Tye tries and tries to extract a simple answer out of 7th Congressional District candidate Melissa Conyears-Ervin…

27 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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More on the $2 billion Bears/NFL stadium proposal (Updated)

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Subscribers were also briefed this morning. Tribune…

The Chicago Bears are prepared to provide $2 billion in private funding for a new publicly owned enclosed stadium and park space in the city, the team confirmed Monday.

The lakefront site would replace Soldier Field and increase open space on the museum campus by 20%, and provide a prime location to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and year-round community events, a source familiar with the deal said. […]

“This investment will enhance our reputation as a world-class city and tourist and convention destination,” [Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jack] said. “And it will encourage more investment.”

A city ordinance generally prohibits private development on the lakefront. The nonprofit group Friends of the Parks filed suit and defeated a previous plan by Star Wars creator George Lucas to build a museum south of Soldier Field. The team is expected to meet with the group soon to share its plans.

* ESPN…

Although the team has not released renderings of its proposed lakefront stadium, a source confirmed the location would be immediately south of the current site of Soldier Field and would maintain parking in the south lot. […]

The public component for the proposed lakefront stadium is not yet known. […]

Should the Bears succeed in their plan to build a new lakefront stadium, a source indicated the team likely will put the Arlington Park property up for sale.

* NBC 5…

The Bears plan to invest more than $2 billion of private funding into the project, which would also increase open space in the area by 20%, the source said.

That open space would include plazas, paths, landscaped areas, lakefront access and more. That effort — creating more public spaces in the redevelopment of the area — appears aimed at placating preservation group Friends of the Parks, which successfully sued to prevent George Lucas from building a museum along the lakefront and has previously voiced opposition to the team’s construction of any new stadium project on Museum Campus. […]

Complicating the ask for public funding is the money still owed on both teams’ stadiums. The Illinois Sport Facilities Authority, which issued bonds for the construction of both stadiums, owes $589 million on the 2002 renovation of Soldier Field and $50 million on Guaranteed Rate, which opened in 1991. Those bonds are paid in part through the state’s 2% hotel tax, but if those revenues can’t make the multi-million dollar payments, Chicago’s share of the state income tax picks up the shortfall. Guaranteed Rate’s bonds are slated to be paid off in 2029, while the Soldier Field deal runs through 2032.

* ABC 7…

A previously floated plan, included a partnership between the White Sox and the Bears to build two new stadiums in the city at the same time, but in this new version, sources said the Bears would go it alone. […]

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said in a statement, “We did not receive a courtesy call from the Bears about this and have seen nothing in writing, so no comment at this time other than we know it’s a long way from a done deal at either location.”

* Mayor Brandon Johnson…

I have said all along that meaningful private investment and a strong emphasis on public benefit are my requirements for public-private partnerships in our city. The Chicago Bears plans are a welcome step in that direction and a testament to Chicago’s economic vitality.

I look forward to subsequent talks with the Bears, State leadership and community stakeholders about how we can continue to responsibly support the aspirations of the team, its fans and all residents of the City of Chicago.

* Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren…

“The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute over $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago. The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region—boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”

* After laying out the plan in quite a bit of detail, Fran Spielman has some questions…

• Where is that private money coming from, and how much of it is from the National Football League?
• Would the team sell naming rights to the new stadium? That wasn’t viable at Soldier Field, given its war memorial status.
• If bonds are issued to help fund the stadium, which public entity would issue them, and what tax would be used to pay off those bonds?
• What are the infrastructure costs at the lakefront site?
• Would public transit along the lakefront be improved to allow better access to the stadium?

The team also released a few poll results, but they didn’t include the questions asked and several other important aspects, so I’m choosing not to share the numbers they did release.

…Adding… Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights)…

“From the Bears’ first announcement to purchase Arlington Park, I’ve been open to the team’s move to Arlington Heights, but reaching a fair deal for all has always been the priority. As I’ve said before, I trust the Bears when they say they’re exploring all options in the best interest of their company. If they go forward with their lakefront plan, it’s our responsibility to make the best decision for Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, and our neighboring communities as well. I look forward to the many interesting proposals to come on the future of Arlington Park like new business development, more affordable housing, or welcoming centers for new arrivals.”

40 Comments

It’s just a bill

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* SJ-R…

Meta is threatening to terminate news availability on Facebook and Instagram in Illinois as state lawmakers contemplate legislation forcing online platforms to pay publishers for using their content.

Senate Bill 3591, known as the Journalism Preservation Act, would require platforms such as Meta and Google to share advertising revenue with eligible online news outlets. Jamie Radice, a Meta spokesperson, told The State Journal-Register passage of the bill would force their hand.

“If faced with legislation that requires us to pay for news content that publishers voluntarily post on our platforms and is not the reason most people come to Facebook and Instagram, we will be forced to make the same business decision that we made in Canada to end the availability of news in Illinois,” Radice said in a statement.

Negotiations are admittedly early, bill sponsor and state Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, said during a Senate Executive Committee subject matter hearing last week. Given a challenging climate for newsrooms nationwide and locally, he urged lawmakers to get behind his legislation.

* Sen. Laura Ellman…

State Senator Laura Ellman advanced legislation that would target critical water issues and make appropriate recommendations to ensure the quality of local water resources.

“Water is a vital natural resource – we need to continue treating our local rivers, lakes and streams with care,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “This measure will ensure recommendations from the State Water Plan Task Force are implemented in a sensible and timely manner.”

Senate Bill 2743 would require the State Water Plan Task Force to address water issues and reevaluate environmental needs by assisting state and local authorities in the implementation of recommended plans. The measure would also require the task force to publish a State Water Plan at least once every 10 years, meet once per quarter each calendar year. […]

Senate Bill 2743 passed the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee last Thursday and heads to the full Senate for consideration.

* Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…

State Senator Sara Feigenholtz passed Senate Bill 3679 — a bill three years in the making — out of the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday with bipartisan support, meaning Illinois could soon join 45 states with permissive language to establish Business Improvement Districts. […]

Senate Bill 3679 sets the foundation for businesses to form a BID and collectively fund improvement projects. Business owners would have direct oversight on how the funds are utilized for projects within the district. BIDs only apply to commercial properties, meaning homeowners and residential properties would not pay any additional fees.

BIDs provide a nimble economic development tool modeled on self-governance. It carves a path for participating businesses to be empowered to address shared goals for their BID’s unique needs.

A BID’s governing board can adjust how the BID is designed to ensure each business shares burdens and benefits equitably. Projects funded by BIDs can include crime reduction, community beautification, job creation and more — all of which will attract new businesses and fill empty retail space. […]

* WAND…

Independent pharmacies are pushing for state legislation to be passed to put tighter controls on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) while creating greater choice for patients filling their prescriptions.

Two bills in the Illinois legislature are being considered which pharmacists hope pass in the current spring legislative session. HB4548 and SB2790. […]

Among the main points:

- Assuring Patient Choice – prohibiting PBMs from directly or indirectly forcing patients toward their own mail order pharmacies.

- Allowing patients to be able to chose their pharmacies without being forced to use a pharmacy owned by a PBM.

- Requiring PBMs to provide data and information to the Department of Insurance to ensure open transparency on how patient, plan sponsor, and taxpayer monies are distributed through the claim process.

* Journal & Topics…

State Sen. Laura Murphy (D-28th), who filed a bill in the Illinois Senate to legislatively dissolve the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District (EGRFPD), said Thursday that the bill is on hold pending the results of a referendum question on the March 19 ballot. […]

Those bills join a referendum question to dissolve the district on the Tuesday, March 19 Primary Election ballot placed by a Cook County judge after a petition was filed by attorneys for the fire district. A hearing with that judge is scheduled for next month after the election.

Mount Prospect village officials are in the process of distributing a “fact sheet” to residents of unincorporated Elk Grove Township informing them about the recent history of the district — including the fact that it is no longer operating. […]

The Elk Grove Township Fire Dept., overseen by EGRFPD trustees, ceased operations on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, with little public notice to neighboring area fire departments or the public, as the district was quickly running out of money to operate because of annexations by neighboring municipalities.

* Capitol News Illinois…

The Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony Thursday on two bills that seek to make Illinois-grown food more accessible to the state’s consumers.

Senate Bill 3077, by Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, would establish a $2 million per-year grant program within the Illinois Department of Agriculture to help fund projects to enhance local food processing, aggregation and distribution within the state. Those could include projects such as food hubs, canneries, mills, livestock processing and other kinds of infrastructure that help move food from a farm to communities.

“And this is important because while we have some of the best farmland in the world, we don’t actually have the infrastructure in place to feed ourselves,”said Molly Pickering, deputy director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. “Ninety-five percent of the food that we eat here in Illinois is imported from out of state. That means every dollar that anyone spends on food is not going into our local communities. It’s being exported.”

Senate Bill 3219, by Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, would establish another kind of grant program through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help fund equipment upgrades at farmer-owned grocery stores. […]

Both bills advanced out of the Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday and could be taken up soon by the full Senate.

6 Comments

You do realize this is a trap, right?

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

“Mayors slam Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate grocery tax,” was the Daily Herald’s headline above a story last week about several mayors of upper-income suburban communities complaining about a proposed tax cut.

I don’t know if the mayors quite understand this, but headlines like that are basically an in-kind campaign contribution to the governor and the Democratic super majority. The fact that Rep. Marty McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) was the center of that press conference arguing against a tax cut, even though he will face a hard-charging Tier One opponent this fall just makes it even weirder. McLaughlin walked it back later in the week, but the damage was done.

This grocery tax elimination proposal is a pretty darned solid play by Gov. Pritzker on multiple political and legislative levels. Whether it’ll become an actual law is, at this early stage, almost beside the point. And whether it’s wise is quite another story.

The “best” part is that this is a state tax cut that doesn’t cost the state budget a dime. You just can’t ask for more than that in this business. The money raised by the tax is collected by the state and then distributed to local governments.

It’s also a regressive tax, which hurts people at the lower rungs of the income ladder. As one top Senate Democrat told me recently, eliminating a regressive tax allows the governor and the General Assembly’s Democrats an opportunity to play the good guys for a change.

The proposal has divided the Republican party, which has to delight the Democrats. On the one hand, you had people like Rep. McLaughlin, providing fodder for whoever writes the direct mail in his opponent’s campaign. On the other hand, you have Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), who is facing a primary challenge and knows better than to oppose a tax cut. Rep. Wilhour said this to his local newspaper: “The penny tax on groceries is punitive for working families, and we should end it in Illinois.” Smart dude.

The tax cut is easy to explain and is therefore receiving a lot of news media coverage. Everybody in politics loves issues like this, even if they’re not all what they seem to be. A bipartisan tax cut that also puts some Republicans in a trick bag, including some politically vulnerable members? Sure, sign me up.

And the more attention this $325 million tax cut receives, the less time reporters will have to flesh out the governor’s fast move on the income tax. Instead of allowing the standard income tax exemption to rise to its previously inflation-tied statutory levels after freezing it for a year, the governor proposed saving the budget some money by not giving people their fully entitled exemption this year. That technically qualifies as a tax hike, but is not so easy to explain.

The Illinois Municipal League was all set to play some big splashy offense this year by again pushing to raise the percentage local governments receive from state income tax collections. But, for now at least, the IML is forced to play defense against a popular idea. The governor and some Democrats have pointed out that the legislature could give local governments the ability to impose their own grocery taxes, which the mayors definitely do not want to deal with (they’d much rather the state impose a regressive tax than them). So, convincing the Democrats to drop the idea could mean the IML might have to withdraw its own proposal, or something in between.

The grocery tax elimination also whacks the City of Chicago’s budget by $60-80 million, according to the city’s estimates. Remember how Mayor Brandon Johnson reneged on his pledge last month to partner with the state and Cook County to provide $70 million in funding to maintain migrant services? At the very least, this Pritzker proposal puts the rookie mayor on notice that there are multiple strings which can be pulled on him.

In the end, I’m not certain this will actually pass, but it’ll be fun to watch for a while anyway. Few legislators care about Barrington’s budget, but they do care about the burden this could put on poorer communities and on Chicago. Not to mention that narrowing our tax base is a huge mistake this state has repeatedly made for generations.

However, I also don’t get the impression that Democrats are in much of a hurry to resolve the issue because they can continue soaking up the publicity, courtesy of the mayors and some Republicans.

19 Comments

Open thread

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

8 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Bears would put $2B in private money in publicly owned lakefront stadium under new push. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ WBBM: Black legislative leaders cool to idea of helping subsidize Bears, White Sox stadiums
∙ CBS: Bears announce plan to spend $2 billion on stadium in Chicago
∙ NBC Chicago: Chicago Bears’ new stadium plan shifts to publicly owned domed stadium on Museum Campus, source says

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Daily Herald | How much of state’s capital improvement dollars are targeted for suburbs?: Nearly $200 million worth of state capital improvement grants are earmarked for hundreds of projects throughout the suburbs. Some grants are worth millions of dollars, while others are just a few thousand dollars, according to the most recent report from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Office of Management and Budget.

* Tribune | Trump’s Illinois delegates: Some tout election denials, others claim vaccines were useless or QR codes lead to government tracking: Many of Trump’s delegate candidates share the former president’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was merely a protest of “patriots.” But a deeper examination of the delegates’ backgrounds, their public comments and social media posts shows some also have repeatedly promoted the belief that COVID-19 vaccines were useless — including a state veterans’ home nurse — and some have pushed conspiracy theories that 5G phone transmission towers, wind turbines and QR codes lead to digital government tracking.

* Here’s the rest…

* WBEZ | Ex-Ald. Ed Burke keeps his law license after most Illinois Supreme Court justices recuse themselves: And it’s not clear whether a mechanism exists that would allow the state to touch Burke’s law license. “It is a most Chicago and most Illinois of absurdities that you have identified,” Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson told WBEZ when asked about the Supreme Court’s surprising incapacity to discipline the former alderman.

* WBBM | Pritzker’s $52.7B budget plan falls short in 2 key areas, allies say: Illinois Rep. Carol Ammons, who represents Urbana and chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said there’s been widespread praise for the new Evidence Based Formula (EBF) that’s currently being used to distribute school funding. She credited the new formula with bringing more help to underfunded districts, but she said the state needs to take it further.

* Sun-Times | Women in Illinois make 80% of what men make, and advocates want to close the wage gap: Illinois is among the first states to pass legislation requiring employers to disclose salary ranges and banning employers from asking about salary history, according to the National Women’s Law Center, but Chicago advocates say there’s more to be done to level the playing field for women.

* Tribune | Illinois abortion providers praise Walgreens, CVS plans to carry mifepristone: Dr. Amy Whitaker, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said the availability of abortion pills at drugstores with a prescription will “let people get the care they need in the way that works best for them.” “We believe medication abortion pills should be treated like any other prescription,” she added. “Abortion care should be treated like any other health care. Making medication abortion pills available in pharmacies moves in the right direction toward making abortion care considered and treated like the basic health care that it is.”

* Tribune | Democratic incumbents face primary competition as party seeks to keep hold on Illinois legislature: In 2022, Democrats, aided by a newly drawn map of district boundaries, held on to their supermajority in the Senate and built on it in the House, expanding to 78 members, the most for that chamber in modern times. The Democrats have controlled both chambers of the General Assembly since 2003. This year, all 118 House seats and 23 of 59 Senate seats are on ballots.

* IPM | Two Republicans look to challenge U.S. Rep. Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th District: Thomas Clatterbuck, R-Champaign, and Joshua Loyd, R-Virden, are vying for their party’s nomination later this month in the contest for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, which snakes from a majority of the Metro East to Springfield and on to Urbana-Champaign. Republicans have an uphill battle in the Democratic-leaning district. Democrats in the state General Assembly redrew the congressional districts in 2021 to gain a U.S. House seat. In 2022, Cook Political Report projected Democrats would have a 3-point advantage in the 13th District. However, Budzinski cruised to victory, beating now-state Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, 56.6% to 43.4%.

* Sun-Times | Is time running out for April Perry to become Chicago’s first female U.S. attorney?: Perry’s confirmation has instead been blocked by U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, to protest the indictments of former Republican President Donald Trump. Vance also blocked the confirmation of the top federal prosecutor in Cleveland. Senate rules allow any senator to hold up a nominee.

* Sun-Times | Dem candidates for Cook County state’s attorney distance themselves from FOP head’s encouraging words: Both Burke and Harris released statements Friday saying they had not sought the endorsement of the FOP or its controversial president — and seeking to tie the other to the union. Burke’s campaign said she “rejects” the endorsement and called Catanzara’s comments “inappropriate.”

* Patch | IL State Rep Candidate Once Censured For ‘Mishandling Client Funds’: Oak Lawn attorney Rick Ryan asserts he never stole clients’ money and accused his 36th District Democratic primary opponent of mudslinging.

* Daily Herald | Hanson, Boxenbaum meet again in 83rd state House race: Hanson bested Boxenbaum to secure the Democratic nod in their first matchup in 2022. Hanson went on to defeat four-term Republican Keith Wheeler in the redrawn 83rd Illinois House District, now a long strip encompassing parts of St. Charles, Batavia, North Aurora, Aurora, Montgomery and Oswego.

* Crain’s | Bally’s hunting for $800 million to kick off Chicago casino project: The financing challenge puts Bally’s in the same boat as many real estate developers looking to jumpstart ambitious projects, with higher interest rates over the past two years and a tight lending environment hampering new construction. While Glover said during the meeting that Bally’s still projects the 1 million-square-foot project will be open by the third quarter of 2026, nailing down a construction loan remains a formidable hurdle.

* Tribune | Chaperones may offer one solution to sexual abuse of patients by medical providers: The Tribune found that Endeavor and other health systems have faced few consequences from state or federal regulators for allowing providers accused of sexually abusing patients to continue working. Sometimes, all regulators required was a plan to do better in the future. The Tribune also found that the state agency that regulates many medical licensees can be slow to take disciplinary action, and providers who worked outside of hospitals sometimes practiced for months while police investigated allegations against them, because of loopholes in state law.

* PJ Star | Magazine recognizes Illinois and Texas for positive business climates: Illinois was ranked the second-best state in the nation for corporate projects for a second year in a row by Site Selection Magazine. Illinois had 552 projects in 2023, up from 487 in 2022. Texas was No. 1 in the country with 1,254 projects, according to the magazine. Illinois also was second in projects per capita, up from No. 4 the previous year, according to a press release. South Dakota was No. 1 in that specific metric.

* Tribune | Johnson to choose from 15 candidates for civilian police oversight board: Mayor Brandon Johnson has 30 days to make final selections from the pool, per the ordinance. Those he chooses will be the first permanent members of a board established after years of advocacy and negotiation, intended to improve public safety as well as accountability for cops accused of misconduct.

* Sun-Times | With shelter evictions looming, migrants worry about access to housing, work permits: “We know that the people that are being evicted do not have the resources they need,” said Merita Bushia, an organizer with Community Care Collective and 33rd Ward Working Families — two of the groups organizing the protest. “People say this is a migrant crisis, but it really isn’t. It’s a housing crisis, and it just has illuminated what many houseless Chicagoans have faced for years. We need to build permanent housing that is affordable to everyone.”

* Tribune | Why the ‘A League of Their Own’ TV show continues to resonate with fans — and why the Rockford Peaches remain timeless: Justine Siegal founded Baseball for All in 2010, a nonprofit providing opportunities for girls to play, coach and lead in baseball, because she was tired of waiting for opportunities. Siegal is a trailblazer in the sport, most notably becoming the first female coach of a professional men’s baseball team in 2009 and to be employed by a Major League Baseball team when the Oakland A’s hired her in 2015 to coach in their instructional league. Between MLB now supporting girls baseball programming and involvement at the international level, including a Women’s World Cup, the growth for girls and women in baseball has been phenomenal, Siegal said.

* Gregory Royal Pratt | ‘They won’t burn my city down.’ How Mayor Lightfoot handled the rioting in 2020: As protests enveloped the country, Chicago Police leaders felt they were in good shape for expected demonstrations. Department chief of staff Bob Boik, however, had some concerns and proposed the idea of raising bridges to limit downtown access. Chicago has 18 drawbridges over the river around the central business district. The brass and Lightfoot aides thought raising the bridges would be overkill and didn’t like the optics of cutting downtown from the rest of the city. They also felt they were best in the country at handling protests, a reputation Chicago police feel they earned after successfully handling left-wing demonstrations against NATO in 2012 and every action since. The lack of widespread violence over McDonald’s murder also inspired a sense that the city would be OK.

* WGN | The Workers’ Mic with Local 150’s Jim Sweeney: This week on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the MCL, Ken Edwards flies solo in the captain’s chair while Ed Maher is out on assignment and Phil Davidson enjoys spring break shenanigans! Ken shares the conversation from the live taping at Café Bionda with Jim Sweeney, President-Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, as he tells “Scabby the Rat” stories as well as the exceptional time to organize is right now.

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

Monday, Mar 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Mar 11, 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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