Sen. Villivalam, Sen. Villanueva, and Rep. Williams today joined the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) to introduce the ICJC Platform—a slate of legislation outlining critical solutions in the power, buildings, and transportation sectors that accelerate Illinois’ climate, equity, and energy goals. Historic investments in clean energy through Illinois’ 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have uniquely positioned Illinois to leverage our climate progress and competitively attract unprecedented jobs and federal investment. With the passage of the ICJC Platform, Illinois can lean into our strengths, double down on bold climate policy, and secure an equitable, affordable, and healthy future for all Illinoisans.
In the ICJC Platform, the Clean and Reliable Grid Act (SB3636), Clean and Healthy Buildings Act, and Clean and Equitable Transportation Act work together to tackle issues that impact Illinoisans in every facet of daily life. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act expedites our path to 100% clean renewable energy and strengthens the capacity and reliability of our electric grid.
“Illinois is already a leader on climate justice and workforce transition, but we still have work to do to secure a resilient, affordable power grid operating on 100 percent clean energy. We know that power grids in Illinois and across the country are outdated, inefficient, and increasingly vulnerable in extreme weather events, which are all the more common due to the effects of climate change,” said Representative Ann Williams, Chairwoman of the Energy and Environment Committee. “With the implementation of the Clean and Reliable Grid Act, we will reduce barriers to building necessary transmission lines, maximize energy efficiency policies, and offer customers options to save money on electricity. These sensible policies will support Illinois’ carbon reduction goals in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and enable us to rapidly modernize and electrify the buildings and transportation sectors. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act will ensure our electric grid is strong, reliable, and affordable so that we can tackle these new horizons in our clean energy economy.”
By improving Illinois’ electric grid and speeding up the approval and connection of clean energy projects, Illinois will be ready to capitalize on the benefits of transitioning the heating systems and appliances that power homes and buildings to clean energy. The Clean and Healthy Buildings Act will require gas utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, require the Illinois Commerce Commission to embed affordability into ratemaking and decision-making, and help people lower their gas bills through gas energy efficiency standards.
The document in which Abraham Lincoln set in motion the Union’s military response to the launch of the U.S. Civil War is now among Illinois’ prized papers of the 16th president, thanks to a donation by the state’s governor and first lady.
The order to blockade Southern ports to prevent the Confederacy from shipping economically vital cotton or importing critical needs was signed April 19, 1861 — one week after secessionist forces fired on Fort Sumter at the entrance to Charleston harbor in South Carolina.
An anonymous collector who owned the document put it up for auction, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his wife, M.K. Pritzker, bought it. The Pritzkers were scheduled to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, which will house the artifact, later Tuesday. […]
The blockade proclamation will go on display in the museum’s light- and climate-controlled Treasures Gallery beginning Wednesday. It will be on display until February 2025.
The Chicago Tribune and seven other newspapers sued Microsoft and OpenAI on Tuesday, claiming the technology giants illegally harvested millions of copyrighted articles to create their cutting-edge “generative” artificial intelligence products including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot.
While the newspapers’ publishers have spent billions of dollars to send “real people to real places to report on real events in the real world,” the two tech firms are “purloining” the papers’ reporting without compensation “to create products that provide news and information plagiarized and stolen,” according to the lawsuit in federal court. […]
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday morning in the Southern District of New York on behalf of the MediaNews Group-owned Mercury News, Denver Post, Orange County Register and St. Paul Pioneer-Press; Tribune Publishing’s Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel; and the New York Daily News.
* Members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs….
Members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs, the Chicago Pride Parade Organizers, and supporting organizations call Mayor Brandon Johnson to promptly restore the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade to its original capacity.
The Chicago Pride parade is an important historical, cultural, and community event. On June 27, 1970, Chicago became one of the first four American cities where a Pride parade was held after the Stonewall riots. The Chicago Pride parade is one of the largest and most prominent Pride Parades in the world. It is an important symbol of LGBTQ+ empowerment and visibility where LGBTQ+ people and our allies come together to celebrate our community as we demonstrate our collective power. The Pride Parade is also an important venue for our community. It is often the first place where young people can show up as themselves, celebrating their identities in a supportive, loving, and celebratory environment. The fact that so many allies want to be a part of the Pride celebration is a testament to the power the LGBTQ community has garnered over the years.
The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have made great strides to advance the rights and protections of LGBTQ+ people. We urge the City of Chicago to work towards having the largest, most visible, and most powerful Pride Parade in the country especially at a time when LGBTQ+ communities, and in particular trans youth, are facing unprecedented and life threatening attacks.
We understand that the City is asking for some adjustments to the schedule to accommodate shift changes at the Chicago Police Department (CPD). We also understand that without much notice, CPD is now looking to enforce an ordinance that has never been enforced in this context. We urge community conversations around equitable enforcement of this previously unenforced rule and any other adjustments the City wants to make to the Parade..
The Pride Parade Organizers, Members of Mayor’s Advisory on LGBTQ+ Affairs, and supporting organizations, call on the Mayor to do the following:
1 Restore participation in the parade commensurate with prior years
2 Start the parade one hour earlier, as requested, to accommodate for CPD’s shift change
3 Along with the undersigned parties and organization, schedule community conversations to equitably discuss any concerns or proposed changes to all parades held in the City of Chicago including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Bud Billiken Parade, etc. engaging and collecting input from all relevant parties, the relevant Advisory Councils, and directly impacted communities.
We ask the Mayor and the City of Chicago to lean into their values of equity and transparency and work with Parade Organizers, the Advisory Council, and the supporting organizations to restore the Pride Parade and support the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago and beyond.
Respectfully,
Members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs
*** Statewide ***
* Press Release | Andrade-Backed Measure Secures Prosthetics Coverage for Cancer Survivors: The Andrade-backed Senate Bill 2573 would require insurance companies to cover the cost of one wig or scalp prosthesis every 12 months for cancer survivors, those with alopecia or other conditions that would cause hair loss. The initiative is supported by the Illinois State Medical Society and passed unanimously out of the Senate on Friday, April 12.
* The Guardian | Tyson Foods dumps millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into US rivers and lakes: Tyson Foods dumped millions of pounds of toxic pollutants directly into American rivers and lakes over the last five years, threatening critical ecosystems, endangering wildlife and human health, a new investigation reveals. Nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, oil and cyanide were among the 371m lb of pollutants released into waterways by just 41 Tyson slaughterhouses and mega processing plants between 2018 and 2022. […] The water pollution from Tyson, a Fortune 100 company and the world’s second largest meat producer, was spread across 17 states but about half the contaminants were dumped into streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri.
* Press release | As Respiratory Virus Season Winds Down, Virus Levels Continue Downward Trend Across Illinois: With the respiratory virus season continuing to wind down, Illinois’ overall respiratory virus level is now Minimal and all counties in the state are at Low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to CDC data for the week ending April 20. The total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois declined 22% during the same week, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Support letters for convicted ex-Ald. Edward Burke to be made public in advance of sentencing : The agreement came after several letters sent on Burke’s behalf were posted on the federal court docket under seal. Last week, attorney Steven Mandell filed a motion on behalf of the Sun-Times and WBEZ arguing there is a longstanding presumption under the First Amendment that such letters should be open to public scrutiny, particularly if the judge is going to consider them in fashioning a sentence for a high-profile defendant like Burke.
* WaPo | As Chicago Trader Joe’s votes on unionizing, grocer fights other efforts: The outcome of a vote on unionizing a Trader Joe’s on Chicago’s North Side is unclear after ballots were tallied late Monday in a closely watched union election at the national grocery chain, which has been gaining a reputation for opposing labor efforts. Workers voted 70 to 70, with one contested vote, which will determine whether the union succeeds, according to the National Labor Relations Board. If the NLRB decides to count the vote and it’s a yes, the union wins; if the vote is determined invalid or a no, the union loses
* ABC Chicago | Organizers push back against plan to downsize the Chicago Pride Parade 2024 in Lakeview on June 30: Organizers announced in early April that this year’s event would be smaller than previous years. They announced entries would be capped at 125 groups, down 35% from last year, and would start an hour earlier at 11 a.m. “We understand there will be some disappointed groups that will not march with us this year; we extend a heartfelt thank you for your support and understanding,” a statement from parade organizers read. “We remain committed to prioritizing LGBTQ+ organizations, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, and businesses with LGBTQ Employee Resource Groups.”
* ABC Chicago | Relative of suspect in murder of CPD Officer Huesca in court on gun charge: Chicago police are still searching for the man charged with Officer Luis Huesca’s murder. But a relative of Xavier Tate Jr. has been charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. A Cook County state’s attorney spokesperson said Caschaus Tate is still in custody after prosecutors moved to revoke his pre-trial release for a burglary earlier this month after allegedly violating it with this new gun charge.
* Crain’s | Loop office tower owner hit with $276 million foreclosure lawsuit: A joint venture of local real estate firm Hearn, Chicago-based GEM Realty Capital and San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management defaulted on a $305 million mortgage loan tied to the office tower at 70 W. Madison St., according to a complaint filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court. Lender Bank of America, which leads a group of financial firms that provided the mortgage in 2018, alleged in the lawsuit that the ownership venture failed to make its loan payment last month.
* Greg Hinz | Bigger hurdles await as Johnson tries to put the start-up blues behind him: Despite some nasty fights and the unexpected influx of tens of thousands of refugees from the Southern border, Johnson has pretty much had his progressive way with the City Council. Allies such as Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter say they are pleased with his performance. Notably, so does anti-violence crusader Arne Duncan, who almost ran for mayor against Johnson. Beyond that, Johnson has shown signs of at least soothing some wounds with an irate business community, beginning to recognize that focusing on jobs and economic development is a win-win proposition, as Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce chief Jack Lavin puts it.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Crain’s | Daily Herald names longtime staffer as next executive editor: The Daily Herald is heralding a change in leadership as longtime editor Jim Baumann is set to leave the suburban news publication. Managing Editor Lisa Miner will succeed Baumann as executive editor starting May 13. Transitioning to the role of executive editor looks to be effortless for Miner, who in her current role takes on day-to-day activities, including supervising editors of various departments, the copy and design desk and photo staff. As executive director, Miner will continue to oversee news operations while also being in charge of budgeting, strategic planning and collaboration between all departments.
* Daily Herald | Developer pays $9 million for long-sought Guitar Center property in Arlington Heights: Work has begun to transform the southern gateway of Arlington Heights, but developer Bradford Allen is already eyeing its next phase of redevelopment. The Chicago-based real estate firm recently paid $9 million for the long-sought Guitar Center property at 2375 S. Arlington Heights Road, according to Cook County property records.
* WCIA | Harvest Moon Drive-In closes in on #1 in USA Today competition: Gibson City’s beloved Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Theatre is currently in second place for USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Best Drive-Ins. They are encouraging more votes to become number one. Currently, another Illinois drive-in — the Skyview Drive-In in Belleville — is in the top spot. Staff from Harvest Moon Drive-In believe their theater can take the throne with enough votes, and are encouraging their fans to spread the word.
*** National ***
* AP | US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say: The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.
* Axios | COVID-era hospital reporting set to end: Hospitals starting this week will no longer have to report data on admissions, occupancy and other indicators of possible system stress from respiratory diseases to federal officials as another COVID-era mandate expires. The sunset of the reporting requirement on May 1 marks a turning point in the government’s real-time tracking of airborne pathogens that helped drive coronavirus surveillance and reports like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s FluView.
* NYT | Inside an Abortion Clinic Days Before Florida’s Six-Week Ban Takes Effect: Starting on Wednesday, Florida will ban abortions after six weeks, a dramatic change in a state that less than two years ago allowed the procedure up to about 24 weeks. Prohibiting it at six weeks, when many women do not yet know that they are pregnant, will further restrict access to abortion in the Deep South where a number of other states have near-total bans, and force many patients to travel much farther for care.
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The price-setting board proposed in HB4472 is not the solution for Illinois. It would give bureaucrats the power to arbitrarily set medicine prices, deciding what medicines and treatments are “worth” paying for. We can’t leave Illinoisans’ health care up to political whims. Let’s make it easier, not harder for patients to access their medicines. Click here to learn more.
Bears executives are set to meet with Gov. JB Pritzker’s chief of staff, Anne Caprara, and Deputy Gov. Andy Manar on May 1, the governor’s office confirmed. It will be the first formal sit-down between the governor’s staff and the team on the plan.
* The Question: What’s your prediction(s) for that meeting? Snark is heavily encouraged.
“Menu prices are sure to increase, making restaurant visits less appetizing. We’re also wondering: Will customers continue to eat out as often and tip generously — or at all — when prices increase and service charges and other fees are added to bills? And what about those servers who already make more than minimum wage because of tips, especially in bustling, high-end establishments? Nationally, according to a 2022 survey by the National Restaurant Association, tipped workers make an average of $27 an hour.”
* For whatever reason, WSIU-TV stopped production on this valuable program, which was a darned shame because it was a must-watch and an opportunity for viewers to see and hear influential legislators questioned by one of the best in the business about the issues of the day. I’m glad to see it’s coming back…
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor.
“This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over the last decade,” Tichenor said of the announcement.
“Illinois Lawmakers” is the longest-running television series offering continuing coverage of the Illinois General Assembly, having done so for the past 38 years. Capitol News Illinois will continue producing the respected program in a manner that largely leaves the show’s familiar format unchanged, but with a significant upgrade in its distribution. Beginning with the first episode this May, “Illinois Lawmakers” will be distributed to all radio and public and commercial broadcast outlets across Illinois and its border states.
The program debuted statewide on the state’s nine Illinois public television stations in 1986 with political analyst Bruce DuMont as host and WTTW Chicago’s Marty McLaughlin as executive producer. “Illinois Lawmakers” was launched by the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council and a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers who sought to create a series on the General Assembly that was impartial, bipartisan, and in-depth in the spirit of the PBS Newshour. The program frequently offers breaking news coverage with lawmakers coming right off the floor to debate the issues of the day.
“I couldn’t be happier in this new venture,” CNI Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller said. “In making this great coverage available for all of our broadcast partners, we’re continuing our mission of providing reliable, experienced reporting to a larger audience – keeping the public informed about what’s happening in their government.”
Legislative leaders of both parties, committee chairs, as well as rank-and-file lawmakers from border to border are regular guests on set in the Speaker’s Gallery in the Illinois House of Representatives. Live coverage of the governor’s annual State of the State speeches and budget messages have been a staple of the series from the very start, along with the annual fall veto session.
CNI also announced that several sponsorship level opportunities are available to offset production costs.
“Although the show is free for its viewers, there are costs associated to produce the episodes,” CNI Executive Director Jeff Rogers said. “To help offset these costs, we have established several sponsorship levels and are seeking financial support to ensure that this important programming remains on air beyond this legislative session.”
Programs will begin weekly production in May and continue through the end of the spring legislative session. You can find each episode at capitolnewsillinois.com/illinois-lawmakers. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Jeff Rogers, executive director of Capitol News Illinois, by email at jrogers@capitolnewsillinois.com or by phone at 815-238-7806.
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.
We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like the Trebacz’s, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
The following is a joint statement from Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter and Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s proposed legislation to fully fund public transit in Northeastern Illinois and consolidate its transit service boards.
Public transit is a critical public service that connects workers to their workplace, school, healthcare and their daily lives. According to the Economic Policy Institute, transportation ranks among the largest monthly expenditures for families of four, on par with food, childcare, housing and healthcare. Maintaining reliable and safe public transit is critical for the working families who power nearly every sector of our local economy. Therefore, finding a solution that fully funds transit is one of our top priorities.
We agree with CMAP’s call for the Illinois General Assembly to increase state funding for transit in Northeastern Illinois, as CTA, METRA, and PACE are essential to the regional economy.
However, we must caution that consolidating our vital regional transit boards into a singular centralized entity would erect a web of bureaucratic barriers between the workers who both operate and utilize our public transit system and the board members tasked with overseeing its success. We cannot support a proposal that erodes the direct communication channels that currently exist to provide the public with a voice in our public transit system.
We look forward to continuing conversations about optimizing our public transit system and commend Senator Ram Villivalam and Representative Eva Dina Delgado for taking the lead on shaping legislation that will affect Illinoisans for generations to come.
Labor is committed to fully funding our public transit agencies to increase the economic mobility of workers in our region. Any reforms to the current structure of these agencies must be done in a thoughtful manner that supports the workers who operate these lines and the public our transit system serves. We’re committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver a solution that addresses the impending fiscal cliff and prioritizes maintaining and improving a safe and reliable transit service for all.
* Related…
* CTA, Metra and Pace could be merged into one transit agency under bill proposed in Springfield: State legislators are proposing legislation that would create a transit agency to oversee public transit across northeastern Illinois and provide an additional $1.5 billion in annual funding for public transportation. State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which would create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to oversee all public transit operations and replace the Regional Transportation Authority.
* Illinois Lawmakers Unveil Proposal to Merge CTA, Metra and Pace; Plan Would Replace RTA and Add $1.5B in New Funding: “The upcoming fiscal cliff facing transit is a moment that demands we reimagine transit so it is the first choice for people to travel, not a service of last resort,” said Derek Douglas, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. “To achieve this goal, we need reforms. We cannot just throw more money at the same system at the same problems and expect a different result.”
* Illinois lawmakers unveil plan to combine Metra, CTA and Pace into one: “The intent behind the consolidation is more about being a more responsive transit agency, to make sure that we’re not kind of in our own little silos providing certain services,” said state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat representing the Northwest Side.
…Adding… Illinois Transportation Labor Association Chairman J.J. Balonek…
“The Illinois Transportation Labor Association (ITLA) strongly supports proposals for additional funding for transportation in Northern Illinois and believes the funds are critical to making sure access to public transportation is available to residents throughout the region. However, any changes to the current structure need to protect the rights that members of labor have secured in over a century of holding employers accountable. ITLA supports a voting labor member on any transit board to ensure our voices are heard. We are looking forward to working together with the stakeholders as this vital legislation evolves.”
The ITLA is a group of transportation labor unions advocating for labor reform in Illinois. ITLA represents thousands of Illinois transit workers across the state.
“Most of your domestic batteries are misdemeanors. Those would always result in some type of a cash bond and most of those defendants were getting out. Now we’re seeking detention on most domestic batteries. You can see out of 177 detention petitions, 71 had been granted, that’s actually pretty good,” said Berlin.
A man released from jail earlier this month on misdemeanor domestic battery charges shot and killed his wife Friday night in Villa Park, authorities said. […]
Prosecutors did not seek to detain Elguezabal pretrial. He was accused of pulling Julie Elguezabal’s hair, and punching her several times in the face, neck and back, according to court records.
There’s new information about the man who police said shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself in west suburban Villa Park.
He’d just been released from jail on domestic battery charges and why the DuPage County State’s Attorney is pledging to fix the system as a result. […]
Winston Elguezabal had been arrested just 12 days earlier, on April 14, and charged with domestic battery against Julie.
But he was released two days later.
The DuPage County States Attorneys office said that’s because he did not meet the criteria for detention under the SAFE-T Act.
Upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release only if: […]
(4) the defendant is charged with domestic battery or aggravated domestic battery under Section 12-3.2 or 12-3.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 and it is alleged that the defendant’s pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case
Somebody needs to send all Illinois reporters an easy to understand list of detainable offenses.
Either way, the Daily Herald reported that Berlin’s office didn’t even ask that the defendant be detained.
…Adding… Sens. Robert Peters and Celina Villanueva and Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
We grieve the loss of Julie Elguezabal and send our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Any loss of life is a tragedy, but the Pretrial Fairness Act is not to blame for this horrific act of domestic violence. The old money bond system did not keep our communities safe, and the new system gives prosecutors and judges the discretion they need to make release and detention decisions based on the danger someone may pose—not how much they can afford to pay. Public safety is our top priority. That’s why we’ve implemented this new system.
As legislators who center our work on pretrial justice and domestic violence around the needs of survivors of violence, and as survivors of domestic violence ourselves, we are extremely concerned by DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin’s insinuation that this tragedy was a failure of the law. Specifically, State’s Attorney Berlin has indicated his office didn’t have enough time to properly evaluate and mediate the potential risk of Mr. Elguezabal’s release.
The Pretrial Fairness Act is supported by the leading organizations working to end gender-based violence precisely because it focuses on protecting survivors. Under the money bond system, police could release people accused of misdemeanor domestic violence without even sending them to court. If they did go to court, hearings lasted a few minutes or even mere seconds. Now, for the first time, the law requires everyone accused of domestic battery to appear before a judge where a transparent release or detention decision is made. Survivors are notified of these hearings and can make decisions about their involvement in the case and plan for their safety. The Pretrial Fairness Act created the ability for prosecutors to request detention in misdemeanor domestic violence cases, aggressively expanded victim notification requirements, and abolished the money bond system that allowed people to buy their way out of any judicial decision-making.
There is much we do not yet know about the process that led to the tragic murder of Julie Elguezabal. What we do know is that earlier this month, her husband was arrested and charged with two counts of domestic battery. In that case, the DuPage County State’s Attorney chose not to request detention of her husband. Mr. Elguezabal was released on GPS monitoring and ordered to stay away from Mrs. Elguezabal. He was required to surrender his FOID card and any firearms in his possession to local law enforcement. Despite surrendering his FOID card, Mr. Elguezabal was still able to access a firearm, and on Friday night, he arrived at his wife’s house where he killed her and then himself.
As we learn more about what happened in this tragic series of events, we must remember that the Pretrial Fairness Act provides far greater protections for survivors of domestic violence than the old money bond system. No system is fool-proof, and no law can prevent all future violence. Rather than reacting and rushing to revise pretrial laws based on this horrific incident, we must continue to build a holistic vision of safety for all, work to reduce gun violence and provide increased resources to survivors of domestic violence.
A perfect example of a good policy that needs to be adopted immediately is Karina’s Bill, which would create much-needed enforcement mechanisms for the existing law preventing people accused of domestic violence from retaining possession of firearms. Like Mrs. Elguezabal, Karina Gonzalez was murdered by a violent partner who retained access to a firearm even after he had been ordered by a judge to surrender his guns.
We look forward to working with advocates and our partners in the legislature to ensure we close this loophole in the enforcement of existing laws and reduce the number of women murdered by partners. We don’t want more laws named after domestic violence victims—we want fewer domestic violence victims.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker was asked about the DuPage case today…
I don’t know that there needs to be any legislative change. But, just in the way cases are handled, we need to make sure that domestic violence is something that gets taken very seriously.
He also said that accused domestic abusers “should remain incarcerated.”
* The governor was also asked about the above-mentioned Karina’s Law proposal…
In general I support the concept of the bill. I will say if you listen to the State Police and actually all the other police [agencies] too, it’s quite difficult to remove a firearm from somebody, even if they’ve given up their FOID card. But in the instance where you’ve got to go confiscate the firearm, literally you have to bring sometimes four officers to one situation in order to remove the weapon. And if somebody doesn’t want to give it to you, it becomes quite complicated.
North Carolina just went through a horrible experience with just this sort of thing. [OK, it’s been pointed out to me that the NC tragedy is not the same. However, it’s what the police do worry about, and that, and the police staffing levels, are some of the main obstacles to overcome as far as the bill goes.]
State lawmakers proposed new legislation on Monday that would overhaul public transportation in northeastern Illinois by merging CTA, Metra and Pace under a single agency.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago), is part of a package that also creates an additional $1.5 billion in annual transit operational funding. […]
The bill, backed by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, essentially erases each of the independent transit agencies and establishes a regional entity called the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. That new agency would eliminate the Regional Transportation Authority, which currently oversees the three transit agencies. […]
The Metropolitan Mobility Authority’s governing board would include 19 directors with voting power. Three are appointed by the governor, five are appointed by Chicago’s mayor and five are appointed by the Cook County Board president.
Creates the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, and establishes the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority, the Commuter Rail Division and the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, and the Regional Transportation Authority are consolidated into the Metropolitan Mobility Authority and the Service Boards are abolished, instead creating the Suburban Bus Operating Division, Commuter Rail Operating Division, and the Chicago Transit Operating Division. Reinserts, reorganizes, and changes some provisions from the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act into the new Act. Includes provisions about the operation of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Repeals the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Amends various Acts, Laws, and Codes to make conforming changes. Creates the Equitable Transit-Supportive Development Act. Establishes the Office of Transit-Oriented Development and the Transit-Supportive Development Fund. Provides that the Office and the Fund are to aid transit-supportive development near high-quality transit by providing specified funding to municipalities that have adopted the standards in the transit support overlay district for that area or that have adopted zoning and other changes that the Office determines have benefits greater than or equal to such a District, including transit support overlay districts. Includes provisions relating to Office standards, procedures, and reports. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code. Requires the Department to establish, staff, and support an Office of Public Transportation Support for the purpose of optimizing the operation of public transportation vehicles and the delivery of public transportation services on highways under the Department’s jurisdiction in the Metropolitan Mobility Authority’s metropolitan region. Describes the duties and operations of the Office. Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Chair of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority is a nonvoting member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
A great thread from Metropolitan Planning Council Senior Advisor Thomas Bamonte…
Much of the rest of the bill is routine stuff, but note new 20 ILCS 2705/2705-594 on pg. 268, which requires @IDOTDistrict1 to establish an Office of Public Transit Support and affirmatively work to make its roadways, many of which host public transit, more supportive of transit.
State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, issued the following statement regarding the tragic homicide that took place over the weekend in Villa Park:
“The murder of Julie Elguezabal is a tragedy and another unacceptable loss resulting from the intersection of domestic violence and firearms. While we collectively condemn this horrific act of violence, we must also collectively take action to right this wrong. Legislation that would remove firearms from the hands of domestic abusers remains stalled in the Illinois State Senate. Karina’s Bill (SB 2633) would allow judges to issue search warrants along with orders of protection so that law enforcement can search homes and immediately remove firearms from domestic abusers. Compared to this time last year, there is a 65% increase in the number of victims killed in firearm-related incidents across Illinois, according to The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. We cannot let this trend continue and must pass this lifesaving bill this session. […]
“Each day that passes without action on Karina’s Bill means more lives shattered and more futures stolen. We owe it to every victim and their families to ensure that they have the protection they need to reclaim their safety. My heart is with the family of Julie Elguezabal, and for hopefully the last time, I say: enough is enough. It is time that we pass Karina’s Bill and end the cycle of firearm-involved domestic violence homicides.”
* The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance…
The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance (IGGVA) today urged Illinois lawmakers to support House Bill 2864 to provide parity for wineries at a time when they are facing an inability to grow under current law.
While Illinois is one of the top wine-drinking states in the country and the state’s wine industry has grown in esteem, current law places inequitable restrictions on production and sales for wineries compared to the beer and spirits sectors. In effect, the law limits the ability to grow and innovate for wineries, many of which are small, family-owned operations and provide significant tourism revenue for Illinois.
The current limitations stem from outdated regulations dating back nearly 90 years that govern wine production, distribution, and sales. The law caps production and self-distribution for Illinois wineries at 25,000 gallons and 5,000 gallons, respectively. Meanwhile, the spirits and beer industries are allowed to produce and self-distribute significantly more under the law – for spirits, 50,000 gallons of production and 5,000 gallons to self-distribute; and for beer, 930,000 gallons of production and 232,500 gallons to self-distribute.
HB 2864 would:
• Increase caps on winery production to 250,000 gallons and distribution to 25,000 gallons – levels that are on par with Illinois distillers and brewers.
• Allow wineries to grow both sales and employment, increasing their contributions to the Illinois economy.
• Address antiquated laws that prevent wineries from selling their wine in the marketplace, prevent retail stores from diversifying their products, and prevent consumers from buying local wines they enjoy.
Many Illinois wineries have reached their limit to self-distribute their wine, so their only option under existing law is to find a distributor to partner with to sell their product. However, this process has been plagued by problems, with most distributors uninterested in working with small business operations like many of the wineries in Illinois. Wineries are left to sell their wine themselves, but the law caps their ability to sell more product and grow as a business.
“Our state has one of the most competitive wine markets in the country. For an Illinois winery, the barriers are incredibly tough to succeed,” said Greg Fischer, owner of Chicago’s Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery. “In Chicago, 99 percent of the wine sold comes from out of state, even though homegrown Illinois wine has grown in quality and popularity. Every sip of Illinois wine benefits our state from the ground up. We urge Illinois lawmakers to work with us to reduce barriers and help us become successful.”
HB2864 has been re-referred to the Rules Committee in the House. The House committee deadline has long past and the bill does not have an extension.
If passed into law, the state’s Fuel Gas Detector Act would require gas alarms to be installed inside buildings. […]
The purpose is to protect against gas explosions, which have increased in number and can destroy property and cause serious injuries.
In cities such as Chicago, which has aging infrastructure, proponents of Senate Bill 1161 say this legislation could potentially save lives.
“We treat so many other hazards in our home. Why would we let this one go?” said state Sen. Craig Wilcox, a Republican from Woodstock, who supports the legislation. […]
Last year, there were at least 10 explosions in Illinois.
SB1161 is on Third Reading and has until May 3 to pass through the Senate.
The Pritzker administration and Democratic lawmakers say every woman in Illinois deserves the right to a healthy and safe pregnancy. A plan moving to the Senate could drastically improve maternal healthcare for Black women in Illinois.
The monumental bill in Springfield would require private insurance companies to cover maternal services provided by midwives, doulas and lactation consultants. This comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health reports Black mothers are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical issues than white women. […]
Gov. JB Pritzker also hopes to provide $4.4 million to IDPH in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to address the state’s maternal mortality rate and create an action plan to support community-based full spectrum care. The Democrat wants lawmakers to approve a $5 million expansion of the state’s home visiting program and $1 million for a new diaper distribution program as well. […]
House Bill 5142 passed out of the House on a 72-37 vote on April 18. Senators could discuss the plan when they return to Springfield this week. Meanwhile, Pritzker’s maternal healthcare budget priorities could be approved during the final days of session next month.
Bills concerning employers and changes they will have to make passed the House last week.
House Bill 3763 makes a change where an employee’s legal representation can request access to personnel records, not just the employee themselves.
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, asked why the bill was necessary. The sponsor of the bill is state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago.
“So for instance, if an employee gets laid off in a hostile work environment, they have a right to their personnel records from that employer,” said Guzzardi. “Right now, as the courts have interpreted this law, that employee needs to go present themself and request these records. We think it is better for everybody if their lawyer could just get these records. If there’s tension between the employer and former employee, let’s just have an attorney submit the records request and have them be delivered to that person’s representative.”
Carbon dioxide pipeline and sequestration projects would face significant new scrutiny and regulations under proposed legislation introduced in April in Illinois.
Advocates who helped draft the proposal (SB 3930, HB 5814) say it is crucial to institute standards and protections, as multiple companies seek to sequester carbon in Illinois’ Mount Simon sandstone geology and reap lucrative federal tax credits. The legislation was formally introduced Monday.
State lawmakers held a hearing earlier this month on separate bills (HB 4835, SB 3441) that would place a moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines for four years or until new federal safety regulations are adopted by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). […]
Companies seeking to sequester carbon dioxide in Illinois have so far failed to secure county approvals for proposed sites, and two major carbon dioxide pipeline proposals — from the companies Navigator CO2 Ventures and Wolf Carbon Solutions — were withdrawn from consideration by the Illinois Commerce Commission last year. But Wolf is expected to refile its application for a necessary certificate of authority. And the commerce commission is currently considering a proposal from One Earth Energy for a six-mile pipeline that — if built — is expected to spur proposals for longer pipelines that would connect to it and a proposed sequestration site.
Illinois’s House Bill 4895, one of three climate change education bills active in the Illinois legislature, was passed by the House of Representatives on a 70-37 vote on April 18, 2024, and is now with the Senate.
The bill was amended before the vote. It now provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”
The provisions of the bill as passed are thus substantially less ambitious than the bill as introduced. As introduced, the bill would have required every public high school in Illinois to “include in its curriculum a unit of instruction addressing climate change in either a required science class or a required social studies class.” It would also have required instruction on climate change to be included in all high school courses in science, agriculture, social science, and relevant career and technical education courses. The state superintendent of education would have been charged with preparing appropriate instructional materials and professional development training for educators.
The other two climate change education bills active in the Illinois legislature — Senate Bill 3644, which was similar but not identical to House Bill 4895 as introduced, and House Bill 4319 — are still in committee.
A bill that would change the pension code and allow quicker access to payments for state employee retirees has passed the state’s House of Representatives.
The vote in the House occurred on April 16th and was unanimous. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit sponsored the bill and commended her colleagues in the House for the bipartisan support.
House Bill 4870 focuses on providing state employees greater flexibility and expedite access to retirement benefits by allowing for an estimated payment, which would occur within 30 days of either the employee’s last day of employment or 30 days after filing for retirement benefits in the state’s system. Kifowit says the bill makes sure that state retirees can get access to the retirement they earned as quickly as possible.
The bill now heads to the Senate. If approved and signed into law, the bill would take immediate effect, providing relief and assistance to state employees navigating the retirement process.
A proposed Illinois Bill, HB5527, would provide Narcan to those leaving jail or prison who struggle with substance abuse problems to help keep them safe upon release. […]
Pat Tyler is the executive director of the Well House, an organization that helps women who are getting out of prison or jail overcome challenges. She said they help women who deal with substance abuse problems by taking them to clinics to get assessed to see what level of care they need, as well as help them get in contact with programs to help them stay clean. She said it’s important they have support from the community to help keep them clean. She said having NARCAN on hand can help keep them safe if they relapse. […]
[Sheriff Anthony Grootens of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office] said they have NARCAN in the jail and provide treatment for prisoners suffering from substance abuse. However, when they are released, it gets difficult to track them.
Grootens said hospitals don’t have to inform them if a formerly incarcerated prisoner has overdosed. He said there’s been instances where they’ve revived a person who overdosed, taken them to the hospital, only for them to leave and overdose again later. He said while having NARCAN available to help is good, there should be a focus on trying to get people long-term help to have them stay clean.
Lawyers for the executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois argued Darren Bailey and Dan Proft colluded on the 2022 gubernatorial campaign during an Illinois State Board of Elections hearing today.
Proft used his super PAC, the People Who Play By the Rules PAC, to create ads that would boost Bailey or hurt incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker during the 2022 campaign. Super PACs, or independent expenditure-only committees, can make unlimited contributions, but are barred from coordinating messaging and other decisions with the campaign they support. […]
Lawyers today presented their case to hearing officer Jim Tenuto. The Illinois State Board of Elections is expected to reach a decision in June or July, he said. That could clarify what it means for a super PAC to coordinate with a candidate, a parameter detailed in federal election law but previously left undefined in Illinois. […]
What is alleged to have ensued on June 29, 2022, the day after the Illinois primary, is a scene that is too on the nose for Chicago politics. According to today’s testimony, after Bailey initially rebuffed Proft, telling him he was too busy to meet following the primary, the candidate and his campaign manager arrived in the backroom of a Chicago country club. There, Proft slid over an envelope which he said contained $20 million. Proft said Bailey’s campaign would get that money if he gave him sole control of the campaign, which Bailey refused.
Governor Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker to announce historic document donation to Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum at 1:00 pm. Click here to watch.
* Pantagraph | Lincoln mayor pledges to fight Logan Correctional Center move: Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch said Monday that he and other elected officials were not given much notice of Illinois Department of Corrections’ recommendation to shutter the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and rebuild the prison in Will County. While hoping for greater transparency in the future before such decisions are made, he said he was focused on making the city fiscally stable and continuing to provide goods and services to the community.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WBEZ | Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars: Pritzker’s administration says access to the medication will yield important health benefits for those who take advantage of the benefit and would equitably give access to the medication across the state’s insurance plans. But one economist who has studied the cost impact of this new class of drugs told WBEZ the state’s yearly outlay could cost as much as three times the state’s estimate, depending on the number of people who access the program.
* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers consider measures aimed at making mental health care more accessible: Illinois legislators have advanced two measures pushed by proponents of reform in the state’s behavioral health system that are intended to expand the insurance coverage available for those seeking care. The bills, both of which were passed by the House on April 19 and are now before the Senate, aim to combat what supporters say are inequities in access to support systems for people suffering mental health and substance abuse issues, which have remained at stubbornly high rates following the COVID-19 pandemic.
* WBEZ | What is ranked choice voting? And what could it mean for Illinois?: The 2024 elections are just seven months away, but a task force of state lawmakers, county officials and voters’ rights advocates are already thinking about the way Illinois residents will vote in the 2028 presidential primaries. They’re mulling over a process called ranked choice voting, where voters can rank multiple candidates instead of choosing one candidate per party. The Illinois Ranked Choice Voting Task Force, which launched in January, has concluded its monthly meetings and is expected to release their report recommending whether to adopt the voting method to Illinois lawmakers in the coming weeks.
*** Chicago ***
* WBEZ | Chicago will relaunch a guaranteed basic income program: The relaunch was announced as part of the Johnson Administration’s plan to dedicate and spend more than $374 million in federal funds earmarked for community projects. The city — which has been slow to spend the money it received in 2021 — has to allocate all funds by the end of this year, and spend them by 2026, or lose the money. City officials hope to have the funds allocated by November ahead of the end-of-year deadline.
* ABC Chicago | Many iconic Chicago bridges are deteriorating, officials race to fix problem before disaster strikes: City and state transportation officials tasked with maintaining these bridges are adamant that any bridge that’s open is considered safe to use, and “rigorous inspection schedules” are in place to keep travelers safe. Right now, there are billions of dollars earmarked for repairing the long list of bridges in poor condition across the state and city, something Illinois has never had before, officials say.
* Crain’s | Peeling back the sticker price on Bears stadium reveals even more costs: The total cost to taxpayers to build a domed stadium on the lakefront in an effort to keep the Chicago Bears in the city will be nearly $5 billion and would not be paid off until the team’s 22-year-old rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, is in his 60s. The Bears’ plan to tap into government bonds to pay for their dream stadium is estimated at $4.97 billion over 40 years, when accounting for interest payments. That’s roughly $4 billion more than the $900 million in upfront capital the team would receive to build their new home.
* WGN | ‘The city is up for grabs’: Chicago Tribune reporter’s new book details Lightfoot’s tenure as mayor: Lightfoot won in a landslide, sweeping all 50 wards. She made history as the first openly gay person, and first black woman to hold the office. But, in Pratt’s analysis, she made an immediate error: alienating city council during her inauguration speech, in which she called out corruption in city government. Pratt’s book argues that the moment was indicative of a theme throughout Lightfoot’s time in office — the impulse to act as a prosecutor instead of a politician. “You can’t slap everybody all the time as though they were a criminal, because that’s just not the way you get stuff done., and she could not adapt her personality and her leadership style,” Pratt said.
* WBBM | Wish granted: Nine-year-old boy takes his family for a ride on CTA train: dris Lockett has a life-threatening heart condition and has endured several surgeries, but on World Wish Day, the 9-year-old’s wish of being a Chicago Transit Authority train operator came true. […] Jessica Miller, senior communications manager for Make-A-Wish Illinois, said granting Idris’ wish to be a CTA train operator was no easy task. “Logistically speaking, this is kind of a complicated wish,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of agencies involved. We live in a big city, so there’s a lot of people we need to connect with.”
* Daily Herald | Merge CTA, Metra and Pace? Lawmakers debut fix amid pushback from suburbs, transit agencies: Proponents promised benefits such as a universal fare and more efficiency, but the seismic shift will be anything but a smooth ride in Springfield. “We know that our current regional transit system needs improvement to provide integrated and community-centered service for all of our residents,” Democratic state Sen. Ram Villivalam of Chicago said during a Union Station briefing.
* WGN | All eyes on Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso as Sky start training camp: “It’s a mindset being able to come in here and not make any excuses because everybody is here is just fighting to be on the team and just fighting for greatness,” remarked Reese. “Coming in here, I didn’t have the mindset to be tired. I had the mindset to go into work every single day and figure everything else out later. I’m just happy to be here.”
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Wednesday Journal | Housing Forward opens Broadview Legacy Apartments: Housing Forward, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness, has opened a permanent supportive housing development on Roosevelt Road called Broadview Legacy Apartments. The apartment complex has 16 apartments for individuals and families who were experiencing homelessness, 12 of which are one-bedroom units and four of which are two-bedroom units. The complex also has communal spaces and office space for Housing Forward. […] The project cost $7.8 million, according to the release, and was funded through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Department of Planning and West Cook Coalition – Illinois Healthcare Transformation Collaborative.
* Fox Chicago | Thornton Township subpoenas reveal Tiffany Henyard is target of criminal investigation: One subpoena focuses entirely on Henyard, including two businesses she owns: a restaurant and a property management company, as well as Henyard’s political fund and the charity bearing her name. It asks for all records including personnel files, wage and tax statements, time and attendance, records of work performed, contracts, and checks written to “cash.”
*** Downstate ***
* WPSD | Carbondale city councilwoman receives death threats: She said she’s gotten emails consistently over the course of being a public figure. She said within two weeks of setting up her city council email account, she received an email in which a constituent said she was “a branch on the tree of life that necessarily must be pruned.” Worse are the death threats and messages explicitly advocating that she kill herself. She said people have told her the world would be better if she found the nearest chair and rope. “It does beg the question, ‘What about me is so threatening that it prompts this sort of rhetoric?’ And that’s a question I still haven’t quite answered,” she said.
* SJ-R | ‘Pain, grief, with a sense of joy and unity’: Lincoln Christian University says goodbye: Brian Messner plunks down on his desk a manila envelope full of notes from his former students telling him what a difference he made in their lives. A 29-year teaching veteran in Lincoln Christian University’s history department, Messner admitted his favorite came from a student working at a state agency. She thanked him for making her write shorter papers. “I never thought anybody would thank me for (that), but those kinds of things are meaningful,” Messner said.
* SJ-R | Illinois State Fair: Get early taste of Fair food, discounts at 100 Days Out celebration: You can get your hands on juicy ribeye sandwiches, fluffy cozy corndogs, tart and chilly lemon shakeups and of course – the infamous turkey legs. The cherry on-top of the day isn’t on the donuts, but the savings Springfieldians can claim at the event. Every menu item purchased comes with a ticket that can be used in a raffle to win State Fair prizes.
Former Illinois Rep. Dan Brady announced Monday he will be running for mayor of Bloomington in next year’s consolidated election.
Brady, who served as a Republican in the Illinois House of Representatives for more than 20 years, said in a news release his campaign for mayor will include plans to enhance public service and public safety, create affordable housing, lower taxes and supporting business and economic development with a new leadership style. […]
He recently lost a bid for Illinois Secretary of State against Alexi Giannoulias in 2022. […]
In response to Brady’s announcement Monday, Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said, “I welcome his entry into the race.”
Bloomington’s consolidated primary election, if necessary, will be on Feb. 25, 2025. The consolidated election will be April 1.
Whether Steve Balich regains his position as a Homer Township Republican precinct committeeperson could come down to a coin flip depending on the ruling of Will County Judge John Anderson.
At issue is one ballot that was not initialed by an election judge during the March 19 primary election.
The Will County clerk’s office certified results of the election earlier this month with Homer Glen resident Tami O’Brien beating Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich 115 votes to 114.
Balich, who is also the Republican Leader on the Will County Board, challenged those election results.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined leaders from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program at Englewood STEM High School to announce the fifth year of CREATE grant funding. As part of the 75th street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP), the CREATE Program and its partners have donated over $600,000 since 2019 as part of their educational commitment to communities within the 75th street CIP corridor. This year’s grants will be dispersed among nine awardees including Chicago Public Schools, Leo High School, The Museum of Science and Industry, and the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
“The impact of CREATE goes beyond any economic indicators. It lies in the way it has connected and invested in our people – from workforce development to community improvement projects and of course, STEM education,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to this funding, students here in Englewood and across the 75th Street Corridor are gaining exposure to new career paths and learning the skills needed to thrive in the economy of tomorrow. At their core, these programs foster curiosity and creativity, helping students turn their ingenuity into innovation and action.”
Today’s announcement outlines awardees for the 2024-2025 school year, with grants totaling $200,000. $100,000 was direct funding from CREATE Program, with an additional $100,000 matched by Norfolk Southern Railroad.
Through partnership with Children First Fund (CFF): the Chicago Public Schools Foundation, the CREATE Program is providing CPS Schools and other educational institutions with creative programming, resources, and the establishment and improvement of STEM clubs (rocketry, cybersecurity, 3D printing, bridge building, and physics). The funding will also assist with makerspaces and internships available to Chicago Southside youth to encourage transportation and infrastructure education.
Grant funding will also positively impact the Chicago Public Library System’s ScienceConnections program, which fosters critical thinking skills and technology literacy among school-aged youth, and the annual STEAM-Powered Saturday event, which highlights year-round STEM programming across various library branches.
The CREATE Program also supports the ongoing success of programming at the Museum of Science and Industry, including their MSI Curiosity Kits and Summer Brain Games Kits, which encourage youth to engage with STEM concepts in their respective neighborhoods.
The 2024-2025 CREATE Program grant recipients are:
- Lillian R. Nicholson STEM Academy (CPS)
- Scott Joplin Elementary School (CPS)
- Asa Philip Randolph Elementary School (CPS)
- Martha Ruggles Elementary School (CPS)
- Englewood STEM High School (CPS)
- Simeon Career Academy (CPS)
- Leo High School
- Chicago Public Library
- Museum of Science and Industry
*** Statewide ***
* DPI | Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez Congratulates New DSCC 7th District Committeewoman Emma Mitts: Yesterday, the committee people of Illinois’s 7th Congressional District selected Alderwoman Emma Mitts as the new Democratic State Central Committeewoman after the passing of Committeewoman Karen Yarbrough. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez shared the following to congratulate the newest DSCC Committeewoman: “Committeewoman Emma Mitts’s enthusiasm for the role–and for Democratic values–is palpable. Her decades of public service experience and commitment to “Unity In The Community” will bring invaluable input and energy as we gear up for critical elections up and down the ballot this November.
* SJ-R | Could a result in an Alabama election impact Illinois? One abortion-rights group says yes: This November, Planned Parenthood is backing a slate of abortion-rights Democrats running for the Illinois House and Senate. That list primarily consists of incumbents, but also 11 challengers to Republican-held House districts. Democrat victories in those districts would make House Minority Leader Tony McCombie’s job even harder, where she and 39 fellow Republicans in the 118-member chamber often lack the voting power to carry through on many of its major policy initiatives.
*** Chicago ***
* NBC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson not attending funeral for Officer Luis Huesca: The last-minute change comes after multiple sources told NBC Chicago Huesca’s family asked Johnson not to come. Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she and another state official were asked by Huesca’s “grief stricken mother” to tell Johnson “he was unwelcome at her son’s funeral.”
* Chalkbeat | Chicago school board candidates gather virtually for first debate: The group that organized the candidate forum has been advocating since the start of the school year around restoring busing for roughly 5,500 general education students who lost transportation service at the start of this school year. Most of those students travel to magnet and selective enrollment schools. CPS stopped busing general education students as it worked to ensure students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Programs require transportation were getting it and that their ride times were not longer than an hour.
* Borderless | After Decades Of Disinvestment, Black And Latino Leaders Want ‘Profound Transformation’ Amid Migrant Crisis: “Unfortunately, Black and Brown people are taking the bait,” said the Rev. Kenneth Phelps, senior pastor of Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Woodlawn. “It’s not just a feud; we’re seeing it right before our very eyes. The tensions are real.” […] “We, too, were a little bit angry with how the city was handling things,” according to Phelps, who acknowledges the complexity of it all. “ But for us, [the migrants] were helpless. They were hungry, they were hurting, and they were human. So we decided to take another tack, as opposed to protesting their presence, we decided to welcome them and approached the city, you know, and said, ‘How can we help?’”
* Crain’s | Three Chicago-area bridges among most vulnerable in the U.S.: Bloomberg’s review of government inspection reports found 14 bridges in the entire country have significant deficiencies in each of three critical structural elements. Those bridges in Chicago are: the Lake Street bridge crossing the South Branch of the Chicago River, the Chicago Avenue bridge crossing the North Branch, and the Harlem Avenue bridge crossing the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal — just north of where the street crosses Interstate 55.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | ‘No Mow May’ is a little helpful, but native plants are better, experts say: Several suburbs will see hundreds of unwieldy lawns next month as homeowners partake in “No Mow” programs, which exempt residents from local mowing codes in the name of providing shelter and food for early spring pollinators. The hands-off lawn care practice, which originated in England, has been gaining traction across North America over the last five years, and suburban communities such as Westmont, Glenview, Lombard and Northbrook are gearing up for another year of “No Mow” programs, including “No Mow ’til Mother’s Day” and “Slow Mow May.”
*** Downstate ***
* Crain’s | Why Rockford, small Midwestern cities dominate list of hottest home markets: Rockford’s affordable housing market helped put it at the No. 1 slot on the list of the nation’s hottest housing markets of first-quarter 2024, compiled by Realtor.com and published first in the Wall Street Journal on April 25. The median listing price for Rockford homes was $235,000 in March, according to the report. In Schaumburg, it’s about $283,000, according to online real estate marketplace Redfin, and in Elgin, $335,000.
* Rockford Register Star | A new market analysis says Rockford is in need of new housing. Here’s why: Rockford’s loss of population but increased employment made it difficult for the 2024 Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study to nail down an estimate for the number of needed housing units. Usually increased employment means increased population. That hasn’t been the case in Rockford, authors said. They estimate the city needs to plan for an additional 3,000 to 9,000 units of housing over the next decade to keep pace with supply and demand.
*** Sports ***
* WBEZ | Candace Parker announces retirement after 16 seasons, three WNBA championships: “I’m retiring,” Parker continued. “I promised I’d never cheat the game and that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants one more, but it’s time. My heart and body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
* Tribune | Arlington Heights still wants Chicago Bears to consider moving there: ‘I don’t think it’s anything close to a done deal’: “We offer the opportunity for the Bears to own their own stadium, which is a big difference between our opportunity and the proposal that they submitted” to the city of Chicago for the redo of the land immediately south of where their current Soldier Field home sits, said [Mayor Tom Hayes]. […] The Arlington Heights plan, Hayes said, would have allowed the Bears to “provide that game-day experience that they have told me from day one that they were looking to do with a new stadium – that’s really kind of the industry standard now” and to be landowners.
*** National ***
* NBC | Supreme Court rejects Elon Musk’s challenge to SEC agreement to vet his social media posts: The SEC cracked down on Musk after he posted tweets in 2018 saying he had secured funding to take Tesla private, which came as a shock to the market and initially sent the company’s shares surging. The agency said the tweets were “materially false and misleading” in violation of securities law. […] Now, Musk is saying that the limits on his speech are unconstitutional and says he was effectively coerced into agreeing to it. His lawyers say in court papers that the SEC has waged an “ongoing campaign” against Musk. […] The SEC responded in court papers that Musk had waived his right to bringing his argument when he signed off on the settlement.
* NYT | Florida Abortion Ban to Take Effect, Cutting Off Major Access Point: Between 2018 and 2023, about 60 percent of abortions in Florida happened after six weeks of pregnancy, according to state data. Clinics are scheduling ultrasounds earlier and ramping up other health care services to try to stay open. Funds are training volunteers to plan travel for patients to Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. (North Carolina is closer but its waiting period to get the procedure makes it a less feasible destination.)
State legislators are proposing legislation that would create a transit agency to oversee public transit across northeastern Illinois and provide an additional $1.5 billion in annual funding for public transportation.
State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which would create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to oversee all public transit operations and replace the Regional Transportation Authority.
They say the measure aims to avoid overlap and competition for money between the RTA, Chicago Transit Authority, Pace and Metra — which they said has led to a delay in integrated fares — and instead provide “coordinated” services. The metro area once had just the RTA and CTA, and Metra and Pace were created later. […]
RTA Chair Kirk Dillard said the agency was open to changes but adequate funding had to come along with that for the “chronically underfunded” system.
“We welcome discussion on reforms that strengthen coordination, efficiency, and accountability across the regional transit system,” Dillard said a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times. “But reforms must come with the necessary funding to upgrade service and maximize transit’s impact on the region’s economy, climate, and access to opportunity for all residents.”
Some of the transit agencies have pushed back on the idea. [CTA President Dorval Carter], in a September letter to CMAP about the organization’s proposals, said focusing on how transit is governed instead of funding would be a “grave mistake” and a “near impossible task to practically accomplish” because providing service is complex.
“To attribute the region’s challenges to anything other than a funding shortage is to perpetuate a narrative that will — at best — serve as a distraction to the funding crisis we face, and — at worst — deepen the disparities of opportunity and access plaguing our region by claiming that it is governance and management issues that are the premier drivers of our challenges,” Carter wrote.
The way transit systems are funded, now, is “discriminatory,” Carter said in the letter, tying funding issues to race. The CTA historically has been underfunded under a 40-year-old deal reached by a downstate- and collar county-controlled Illinois General Assembly when Harold Washington was elected as the city’s first Black mayor, he said.
The deal was intended to ensure the CTA and the mayor’s influence “was always controlled ultimately by other entities,” Carter wrote. He cited the creation of a “suburban-controlled” RTA and a funding formula that sends 49% of the region’s transportation funding to the CTA, which provides 80% of transit trips.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about this proposal at an unrelated event…
I have not read the bill, I’ve only read the reporting on the bill.
And obviously, there are changes that will have to take place as we move forward in thinking about the funding cliff and thinking about how better to operate the transit systems in the region. So you know, I like that there’s creativity coming out of the General Assembly.
I also think we need to make sure that we’re listening to other organizations, including the CTA, who ought to be coming forward with more about what changes need to take place.
So I’m pleased that there’s movement on this front but I you know, I don’t not endorsing any particular plan yet
“What we hope is included is a long-term fiscal solution that doesn’t disrupt progress and reflects the real-life service needs of our region,” Pace spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken said.
“Pace’s current governance structure allows us to be nimble and responsive to local needs, and it is feared that a governance consolidation would negatively impact commuters.
“Changes must reflect the actual service needs of our region and address the real problem, which is a historic lack of investment in our transit system, especially in the suburbs,” she added
Logan women’s prison would be moved onto the same site as the men’s maximum security Stateville Correctional Center as part of a plan to rebuild both facilities, according to a proposal the Illinois Department of Corrections has submitted to a state commission.
The recommendations from IDOC come a little more than a month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled a plan to rebuild Stateville and Logan prisons. The governor said the project would cost close to $1 billion, while offering few other details.
The proposal to move Logan from its longtime location in Lincoln, Ill., about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, to the Stateville property in Crest Hill, near Joliet, was included in a report IDOC provided to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability on Friday, part of a lengthy facilities closure process mandated by the state. […]
The IDOC recommendations sent Friday maintain that the Department does not expect any employees to lose their jobs in the process unless they voluntarily choose a layoff. More than 450 people are staffed at Logan Correctional Center and 939 are employed at Stateville, IDOC said.
IDOC is considering moving Logan from its present location in Lincoln, IL. Specifically, as the Department’s planning has progressed, the current preferred plan for Logan is to build on available ground at Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois. A move to Crest Hill would permit a more regionalized approach for the women’s facilities by providing a northern facility to pair with the already centrally located facility in Decatur. […]
As of April 15, 2024, the Department’s individual in custody population at Logan is 1081. There are only 1541 female individuals in custody within the entire Department. The Department has deemed Logan necessary to close due to its crumbling infrastructure, outdated design, and significant need for capital investment. Specifically, there are approximately $116 million of capital projects that are required for Logan to remain open and operational long-term. IDOC intends to continue to house the individuals in custody at Logan until the rebuild is complete as long as it is safe to do so. However, in the event the conditions of Logan continue to deteriorate, or a part of its critical infrastructure fails, IDOC may need to relocate all individuals in custody at Logan prior to the completion of the rebuild. […]
Logan Correctional Center serves a multifaceted population consisting of reception and classification, protective custody, general population and mental health units. Nearly 1,000 of Logan’s current housing unit beds were built more than 90 years ago for a mental health population. Most of the buildings at Logan, including most of its housing units were built nearly a century ago for patient wards in a mental health institution. These units do not meet the ideal standards of modern correctional practices, are not supportive of a rehabilitative environment and complicate the overall delivery of required services. Additionally, the facility is fueled by a coal-fired plant that dates back to 1930.
Ability of the current and potential communities to provide the infrastructure to support functions and employees.
Since 2010, Logan County has seen a population decline of 2,715 (1%). The county is 90% white, 8% American Indian/Native American, and 1% Asian. Additionally, approximately 20% of residents aged 25 or older hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
Since 2010, Will County, where the Department is seriously considering building the new Logan facility, has experienced significant population growth, with an increase of over 20,000 residents, bringing the total population to approximately 700,000. This demographic expansion includes a diverse population, with 13% identifying as African American and 20% as Hispanic or Latino. Additionally, over 35% of residents aged 25 or older hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
These demographic factors are essential as they ensure a robust talent pool from which to recruit and fill positions, particularly in specialized fields such as medical and social work. Additionally, Will County’s proximity to other collar counties and Cook County enhances access to a broad network of providers and vendors, further supporting the facility’s operational needs and the rebuild process.
The Department estimates that it could take up to approximately $7 million to complete the transition for Logan and Stateville Correctional Centers. Please see below:
o Relocation of Individuals in Custody - $76,200
o Staff Redeployment - $603,800
o Legal Costs - $402,500
o Operational Adjustments at Receiving Facilities - $5,750,000
o Grand Total - $6,832,500
These expenses, once incurred, would be paid from the Department’s operating budget, which is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund
IDOC’s Stateville Correctional Center report is here.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker was asked about this at an unrelated event…
This is still being worked out. There will be hearings, as you know, this is part of the process. But you have to understand that we have to make changes. This has to happen. Changes have to take place because these prisons have not been upgraded or renovated in many, many years. Many of them are very, very old. and particularly we’re talking about Stateville and Logan.
And so, you know, we’re going to be careful about it, especially because we want to protect not only the corrections officers, but the people who reside in or serving their sentences. And unfortunately, over many years, the state has neglected to do anything about the conditions in these prisons. We’re stepping up and actually making a proposal and then putting the money forward to do the right thing. And I think that should be commended. And I also think that in protecting the people who work there, that’s something that I deeply care about. And we’re going to do that in all of the processes that are lending themselves right now. So I think this is the right way to go. We’re doing it the right way.
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
“Let’s focus on facts, not optics. This legislation will result in less wages for servers not more. The hospitality industry is already under immense inflationary pressure and this bill will just drive consumer prices up further.”
* Background is here if you need it. As expected, Sen. Napoleon Harris’ voting record on abortion and, especially, marriage equality came back to haunt him when Democratic Party leaders met last week to choose a candidate for Cook County Clerk. A.D. Quig has a very comprehensive story in the Tribune, so you should read it all, but here’s the state angle…
“Let me be clear: I believe in a woman’s autonomy of her body and her right to choose,” Harris said. “To (the) LGTB community, I am not homophobic. However, I am a man that believes in autonomy to do what you want to do. Love who you want to love, and you will have my support as well, as long as we have mutual respect for each other. This election is bigger than a quote, is bigger than someone saying what you are and what you believe in.” […]
The office does not intersect with abortion access, but it is a key party plank. The clerk’s office does issue marriage, birth and death certificates, as well as changes to gender on vital records. Both groups [Equality Illinois and Personal PAC] urged party members not to support Harris because he did not vote on several bills, including the Reproductive Health Act, the Marriage Equality Act and Birth Certificate Modernization Act, which would have allowed transgender people to access the documents that match their gender identity. […]
Harris said the Marriage Equality Act was his first vote after being sworn into the General Assembly in 2013 and he was “unsure of which way to vote because my district was kind of half and half, it was split. But more importantly, it was an opportunity for me to learn.”
Harris said he did not “personally” support the birth certificate modernization act, but as clerk, he would not “neglect or deny anyone the ability to get the documentation that they need.” […]
“But given the opportunity to show, rather than speak to, your support for folks who need these documents to be safe, you chose not to,” [Rep. Kelly Cassidy, one of the legislature’s strongest proponents of abortion and LGBTQ rights and the committeeperson for the 49th Ward] said. “What I’ve seen is a person who has chosen not to stand up … for my marriage and my community when given the opportunity to do so.”
Harris said, “I apologize that I can’t be with you or haven’t been with you 100% of the time, but I respect your rights, and if you can’t accept that I accept you, how can we accept each other? … I’m as real as it gets, no one can push something on me and then expect me to just shove it down my throat and then I can’t be me … we’re a party of a big tent.”
A man released from jail earlier this month on misdemeanor domestic battery charges shot and killed his wife Friday night in Villa Park, authorities said. […]
Prosecutors did not seek to detain Elguezabal pretrial. He was accused of pulling Julie Elguezabal’s hair, and punching her several times in the face, neck and back, according to court records.
“In the aftermath of this horrific incident, I intend to meet with all stakeholders to enhance protections for victims of domestic battery and improve the manner and timeliness in which information is provided to prosecutors, while still meeting the requirements of the SAFE-T-Act,” Berlin said. […]
Berlin said sometimes prosecutors have limited information when they have to make the decision to pursue detention.
“Perhaps a legislative fix or internal remedy could improve this outcome. Perhaps both,” Berlin said.
Guy punches his spouse “several times” in the face, neck and back and the state’s attorney just lets him go then tries to pin blame on a state law, which specifically gave his office extra time to deal with the accused.
* From the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence…
What happened to Julie Elguezabal is a horrific tragedy and could have been avoided. Survivors of domestic violence deserve safety, but far too often our systems fail to prevent abusive partners from harming survivors further after they have taken the brave step to seek help that will allow them to leave dangerous situations.
Prosecutors and judges must better listen to the needs and perspectives of domestic violence survivors, many of whom are experiencing extraordinary trauma. To understand what is truly happening and what survivors need, we need prosecutors and victim witness staff to consult with victims directly to ensure their safety concerns are met before prosecutors make decisions about detention petitions or conditions of release.
Our organizations support the Pretrial Fairness Act because we know this law gives courts better tools to serve victims than the old money bond system.
Unlike the old system, the Pretrial Fairness Act now:
● Prohibits people who may be a danger to others from simply paying their way out of jail.
● Ensures that domestic battery is eligible for pretrial detention.
● Prevents law enforcement from releasing someone accused of misdemeanor domestic battery without seeing a judge.
● Gives survivors the right to timely notification before any initial appearance or detention hearing, whereas survivors were not previously required to be notified of bond hearings.
● Permits survivors to participate in a risk assessment interview, something they were previously prohibited from doing.
● Offers survivors the ability to request protective orders for domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking at every court date.
● Allows prosecutors to request a 24-hour delay in a detention hearing for misdemeanor domestic violence cases and a 48-hour delay for felony cases, giving them time to consult with victims directly about what would make them feel safe.
The legislature must also take additional steps to better address the safety of domestic violence survivors as it relates to firearm involved cases. While people accused of domestic violence are currently required by law to surrender their firearms, that law is rarely enforced. Right now, common practice in Illinois allows people accused of domestic violence to maintain access to guns, as in this case, where Ms. Elguezabal’s apparent assailant had turned in his FOID card but no firearms were relinquished. Karina’s Bill is legislation currently pending in the Illinois General Assembly that would permit judges to issue search warrants along with orders of protection so that officers can search homes and immediately remove guns from people accused of domestic violence.
More sports team stadium drama could be on the horizon as the Chicago White Sox are said, as of this writing, to be preparing to announce a significant private investment in a new South Loop ballpark.
The ballclub has already demanded a share of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority’s bonding authority, which the Chicago Bears claimed for itself in its entirety this past week for its own stadium plan (to the tune of $900 million).
The city’s women’s soccer team, the Red Stars, is also hoping for a new stadium and will likely want a piece of that ISFA bonding authority — a fact both Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch pointed to last week.
Unions are a crucial component to all this, but a high-level official with Local 150 of the Operating Engineers Union said while his organization supports the Bears’ massive domed stadium plan, the NFL team’s desire to use up all of ISFA’s bonding authority and freeze the other teams out just isn’t realistic. “I think until there’s a bigger, more global deal that comes together, I just don’t think it’s real,” he said of the Bears plan.
The White Sox want to capture all the state sales tax revenue from the new South Loop site, which is probably a no-go. Unlike the Bears, with their $1.5 billion capital funding proposal, the Sox won’t be asking for any direct state cash.
The spring legislative session is scheduled to adjourn May 24, and the Bears want a deal done by then. But judging by the comments of state leaders this past week, if these plans are going to have even a remote chance of passage, the teams will have to drastically scale back their state asks and show some tangible benefits for state taxpayers.
The governor repeatedly threw cold water on the Bears proposal, dismissing ideas like the Bears snagging the revenue from events at the publicly owned stadium as “probably non-starters.” Pritzker also flat-out refused to repurpose state revenues for a stadium. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and Welch have also expressed skepticism, with Welch doing so pretty forcefully.
Some pro-Bears types have grumbled privately that while Pritzker seems to be enjoying bashing the Bears’ plan, he is all about using state money to help fund projects like Gotion’s electric vehicle battery plant in Kankakee County.
Pritzker’s top spokesperson responded the governor has “supported economic development across this state, but there has to be a benefit for the taxpayers.”
“Forty years of bond payments is not what Gotion or Rivian are getting,” she said, referring to the Bears proposal to refinance the Illinois Sports Facility Authority’s debt over 40 years. The Bears plan, she noted, “is going to cost taxpayers billions of dollars, not hundreds of millions in one-time money.”
And $125 million from the state’s deal closing fund has already been released to Gotion for its plant, she said, “with clawback provisions, obviously, if they don’t live up to their promises.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson told NBC Sports Chicago he “needed to make sure that the Bears organization and my administration were on the same page” before the stadium proposal moved to the state level.
Indeed, a big chunk of the Bears’ $1.5 billion capital funding proposal just announced was negotiated with the mayor’s office.
“City officials said Johnson’s office won’t ask the City Council to chip in for the infrastructure upgrades,” the Sun-Times reported.
So, the mayor negotiated a $1.5 billion package funded entirely by other government entities, mainly the state, without including any other government entities in those negotiations or making sure there was enough available cash to fund the wish list (there isn’t).
The funding would come in three phases. The Bears made it clear the team needs $325 million in Phase One to open the stadium’s doors, with much (not all) of the other two phases paying for various amenities, like new parkland, a skating rink, a museum, a hotel, etc. Those second and third phases were downplayed by the team.
“We would be excited if all three phases happened,” said Karen Murphy, the Bears’ executive vice president of stadium development, according to the Sun-Times. “We need Phase One to happen for our project specifically.”
Bears CEO Kevin Warren also seemed to back away, telling Crain’s Chicago Business: “We can start to dispute whether the amount was too much or the infrastructure costs are too much or what is the appropriate amount of the bonds.”
That sound you hear may be some of the mayor’s negotiations being thrown out the window.
* ICYMI: New legislation would create statewide transit agency, provide additional $1.5 billion for transit. Sun-Times…
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which would create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to oversee all public transit operations and replace the Regional Transportation Authority. They say the measure aims to avoid overlap and competition for funds between the RTA, CTA, Pace and Metra — which they said has led to a delay in integrated fares — and instead provide “coordinated” services. The metro area once had just the RTA and CTA, and Metra and Pace were created later. […]
The new office would consist of 18 voting directors — the governor would choose three, the mayor of Chicago president of the Cook County Board would select five each and the chief executives of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties will each get one. A chair would then be chosen by the 18 directors, but not be someone from that body. […]
A companion bill would also set aside $1.5 billion every year from state funds for operational costs for the transit agencies, though Delgado said it wouldn’t come without “restructuring transit governance to put safety, frequency and reliability for riders first.”
Well this is interesting: Lawyers for Illinois state Sen. Emil Jones III say prosecutors redacted huge parts of FBI mole Omar Maani’s grand jury testimony. They want to see it to pursue a potential entrapment defense. Background: https://t.co/q4J22Tb86kpic.twitter.com/ObHbwKRd60
Gov. Pritzker will announce IDOT Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) grant awards at noon. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s top picks ***
* Tribune | 86% of Great Lakes litter is plastic, a 20-year study shows. And the plastic is ‘just getting smaller and smaller.’: Using data from more than 14,000 beach cleanups over 20 years, a new report from the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes found that 86% of litter entering the Great Lakes in a given year is either partially or fully composed of plastic. Previous estimates and computer simulations indicated that 22 million pounds of plastic debris entered the lakes annually, at that time making up 80% of shoreline litter.
*WCBU | Pritzker administration official defends grocery tax cut as report projects modest relief for families: In an interview with WCBU, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said the grocery tax is “clearly a regressive tax,” and noted that Illinois is one of only 13 states that tax groceries on the state level. Manar said Pritzker wants to open a “public discussion with the General Assembly” regarding government funding approaches. “The governor has said the state should not be in the business of taxing groceries, especially when the state doesn’t spend the money that is generated from the tax,” said Manar. “So if it’s a local decision to spend the money and [decide] how it’s spent, then it should be a local decision as to whether or not it should be taxed.”
*** Statewide ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans: The report argues that noncitizens are employed at a slightly higher rate than the adult population as a whole in Illinois, so providing that group with health coverage promotes a healthier and more productive labor force. It also argues that medical coverage reduces financial strain and medical debt for a group that would otherwise be uninsured and that covering noncitizen adults results in improved developmental outcomes for their children.
* WMBD | Pritzker announces $30 million for Illinois downtowns: Eligible Illinois cities and towns can now apply for the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital (RDMS, $20 million) and Research in Illinois To Spur Economic Recovery (RISE $10, million). RDMS grant money will go towards “construction, repair and modernization of public infrastructure and amenities to boost jobs, improve quality of life and stimulate economic activity for communities that have experienced disinvestment.” To be eligible, the projects must be in a commercial center or downtown area.
* Tim Drea-Pat.Devaney | Workers Memorial Day is a reminder: On March 27, Jay was senselessly murdered, the victim of a horrendous attack while on his mail route in which he was stabbed and run over by a vehicle – one of four victims of a 22-year-old man now behind bars and facing charges. But his colleagues refuse to let that day define his career and life. Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers #245 came together in early April to honor Jay Larson, driving his postal route in his honor and watching as blue balloons rose from mailboxes and candles burned at a memorial for his legacy. They noted he served Rockford residents and businesses for 25 years, never took a sick day, and always pitched in to help others – on his route, and with others’ routes.
* Tribune | 6 months after Illinois ended cash bail, jail populations are down as courts settle into new patterns: Overall, though, new routines have taken hold, with the law mostly “working as intended” in Cook County, according to a recent report from the Civic Federation and League of Women Voters in Cook County. Since implementation of the reforms in September, the Cook County prosecutor’s office sought detention in about 18% of cases, with judges granting such petitions about 60% of the time, according to data from the chief judge’s office.
* AP | Ex-Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis fined $43,475 for campaign finance violations: The violations occurred during the 2021-22 election cycle. Federal campaign finance law prohibits contributions of more than $2,900 per cycle from an individual or single-candidate political committee and $5,000 per election from a multicandidate committee. Excess contributions must be refunded or redesignated within 60 days. In a negotiated settlement with Davis’ committee and Datwyler, the FEC found that one contribution of $3,625 and general election contributions of $479,784 were not properly redistributed within 60 days, resulting in the fine. Davis was not eligible for the larger amount because he was not on the 2022 general election ballot.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Slow work authorizations frustrate new migrants and industry leaders alike: Chicago businesses cheered in September when President Joe Biden extended temporary protected status to Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the United States on or before July 31, buoying hopes that it would provide a legal pathway for new arrivals to work and fill vacant jobs. But months later, migrants who arrived before the end of July are struggling to get work permits, while those who came after that cutoff date will not be eligible. That means even as more buses pull up to Chicago, the people looking for work will likely have fewer legal options without federal intervention.
* Sun-Times | Hundreds gather for visitation of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca: Law enforcement officers from Romeoville police, Illinois State Police, Indiana State Police and other agencies were among those who lined up outside Blake-Lamb Funeral Home for the visitation service. The line stretched outside and around the building for hours. A massive American flag hung from the ladder of a Chicago Fire Department truck in front of the funeral home. Motorists passing underneath the billowing flag honked their horns in support of the solemn ceremony.
* Sun-Times | After long journey, 15 migrant couples marry in group ceremony in Chicago: The nuptials marked a new stage in the lives of the 30 newly arrived asylum-seekers after a long and tiring journey from South America. Some couples said they had postponed their wedding because getting married in Venezuela is expensive and the paperwork is cumbersome. Formalizing their commitment through marriage has important legal, health and immigration benefits, but the couples who got married Friday said they wanted to solidify their relationship through the church. They prepared for several months, taking classes and getting counseling. More than 150 people witnessed the life-changing moment.
*** The Bears ***
* Tribune | True public cost of Bears stadium would be billions more over time: In addition to the $900 million in borrowing, the Bears want the state’s stadium agency, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, to refinance about $430 million in existing debt for previous projects and take out about $160 million more to set up as a so-called liquidity fund to cushion the city of Chicago from future shortfalls in revenue from a 2% city hotel tax that’s supposed to cover the cost of the borrowing. Counting interest and other long-term costs, the proposed new borrowing would tally up to at least $4.8 billion over four decades, said Frank Bilecki, ISFA’s CEO.
* Sun-Times | Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion: Add to that the $1 billion already paid to revamp Soldier Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, and the overall cost to taxpayers is $6.9 billion, says Frank Bilecki, executive director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. The higher costs were gleaned from figures provided by the Bears during their initial meeting with the stadium authority and in follow-up conversations with the team, Bilecki said.
* Chicago Defender | Bears QB Caleb Williams: Criticism of Nails, Fashion Reflect Fan Homophobia: If you’re of a certain age, you were probably conceived by the soundtrack by male musicians who made “out of the box” fashion choices that are considered effeminate. Even when Williams said that he paints his nails in tribute to his mother, who owned a nail salon, it wasn’t enough for the folks who’ve made up their minds about him.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Thornton Township residents gather to organize against Tiffany Henyard: Mary Avent, chairperson of Advisory Committee to the People’s Trustees of Dolton, a group she formed earlier this year to unify residents of the 17 township communities, urged residents to come together to oppose Henyard. She said she hopes enough public pressure will force state and local elected leaders to investigate the township’s finances and get to the bottom of why, Avent says, taxes go up but basic public services get slashed.
* Fox Chicago | Law firm drops representation of Dolton, Mayor Henyard amid financial strain and FBI probe: The Del Galdo Law Group said it is not being paid, so it will stop appearing in federal and state court and defending Dolton and Henyard in the 22 different lawsuits. In a letter to Henyard and trustees, the law firm said the village is facing millions of dollars in judgments from earlier cases and could potentially be on the hook for millions more in the current lawsuits. The firm also added that the village is quickly approaching the point of becoming uninsurable.
* Daily Herald | Illinois public schools see another year of enrollment declines: Enrollment at Illinois public schools this year dropped by nearly 10,000 students from the previous year. That includes 1,787 fewer students at 104 suburban public school districts in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, according to fall enrollment figures released by the Illinois State Board of Education last week.
* Daily Southtown | Landmarks: Palos Preserves get overdue attention in ‘biggest project ever’ in Cook County: The assemblage of politicians and Forest Preserves staff wore light jackets on a sunny April 25 for the official launch of a $10 million restoration project in the Palos Preserves. The effort to remove invasive shrubs and improve and repair trails will impact almost 1,100 acres, mostly west of Wolf Road. Work began last winter in Red Gate Woods, and the Forest Preserves people wanted to show off early results. At one point on a short hike, Troy Showerman, a resource project manager, pointed out how the older trees uniformly leaned to the east, where undappled sunlight once beamed down on a formerly deforested hilltop.
* Daily Herald | Man on release in domestic charge kills wife, self in Villa Park, authorities say: State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said, in a news release, that information in a DuPage County Domestic Violence Report his office received before Elguezabal’s First Appearance Court hearing indicated he did not have access to a gun. Elguezabal surrendered the FOID, as required, April 17. Prosecutors did not seek to detain Elguezabal pretrial. He was accused of pulling Julie Elguezabal’s hair, and punching her several times in the face, neck and back, according to court records.
