Today’s number: $13.33 billion
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ralph Martire writes about how Chicago ended up with $33.9 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. In fiscal year 2000, he notes, the city’s pension systems were funded at about 85 percent…
Consider the economic factors first. The recession that began after the “dot com” bubble finally burst in early 2000 and the Great Recession that rocked financial markets from December 2007 through June 2009 collectively led to some $15.9 billion in investment losses for Chicago’s pensions. However, due to the long-term diversified portfolio approach to investment used by the systems’ trustees, all but $4.52 billion of those losses have been recouped.
Second, state lawmakers changed various actuarial assumptions used to project growth in pension assets and costs. Those changes led to the unfunded liability growing by some $4.07 billion.
The gorilla in the room, however, is the state law that allowed Chicago to significantly underfund its pensions every single year for close to two decades. That law specified an annual pension payment that was well below the actuarial required contribution, or ARC.
Basically, the ARC identifies how much should be contributed to a pension system in a given year, so it will be adequately funded to cover its liabilities over the next 30 years. Whenever a pension contribution is set at a rate below the ARC, it creates unfunded liabilities that ultimately have to be paid, along with interest that accrues and compounds.
Of course, it also didn’t help when the state passed legislation, requested by then-Mayor M. Richard Daley, that allowed Chicago to take “pension holidays” —that is, make little to no pension contributions — in 2006 and 2007. Together, these state laws ultimately account for $13.33 billion, or 59%, of the $22.6 billion aggregate growth in unfunded pension liability from 2007-2022.
Emphasis added.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated x2)
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Jason Meisner at the Tribune…
A government attorney faced tough questioning Monday from U.S. Supreme Court justices over concerns that the federal bribery statute often used to prosecute public officials, including a former Indiana mayor, is vague and potentially criminalizes innocuous gift-giving by people from all walks of life.
The oral arguments came in a case involving James Snyder, the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who was convicted of taking a $13,000 “consulting” fee from a garbage truck contractor that had recently won two lucrative contracts with the town.
The statute Snyder was convicted under, which is commonly referred to as “666” because of its number in the federal criminal code, makes it illegal to “corruptly” accept anything over $5,000 in value with the intention of being “influenced or rewarded” for an official act, regardless of whether there was a prior quid-pro-quo agreement.
How the high court comes down on the issue could have a resounding impact on political corruption prosecutions in Illinois — including the case against former House Speaker Michael Madigan, which is set for trial in October.
Another story from Jon Seidel and Dave McKinney…
Skeptical Supreme Court justices grilled a government lawyer for more than an hour Monday about a law used in the prosecution of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and others in Chicago, pressing her for a clearer definition of corruption.
“Is it a sin?” Justice Neil Gorsuch asked as he drilled down into the question. “Are we now talking about something that, you know, would be a venial sin? Or does it have to be a mortal one?”
Some of the justices, including Gorsuch, seemed intent on clarifying the law in question — a bribery statute that applies to state and local officials. […]
But on the whole, it seemed the high court was poised to further limit prosecutors in their pursuit of public corruption. […]
Multiple justices asked Sinzdak whether she could “live with” a ruling that would clarify the law to bar “unlawful” conduct — actions prohibited by state or local laws.
Sinzdak confirmed that she’d prefer the justices perform a narrower “surgery” of the law in that way, rather than cutting out gratuity prosecutions entirely.
More from Center Square…
Justices repeatedly asked Colleen Sinzdak, assistant to the Solicitor General, how the government’s position could stand.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett at one point told Sinzdak: “I’m increasingly worried about the government’s position.”
Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked Sinzdak how officials know if a reward crosses the line into illegal conduct.
“What is innocuous and what is not?” he asked. “And just as important, how is the official supposed to know ahead of time?”
The justices brought forward a raft of hypothetical situations, including a dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, a meal at Chipotle, a gift of pornography and an apple left on a teacher’s desk as they tried to tease out answers to the question before the court. The justices also touched on the long history of corruption in Chicago and Illinois. Even the late Chicago mob boss Al Capone was mentioned.
Lisa Blatt, counsel for petitioner James Snyder, a former Indiana mayor convicted twice of corruption, said the broad federal bribery statute subjects 19 million state, local and tribal officials along with 14 million Medicare-funded health care workers to the federal bribery statute.
“Congress did not plausibly subject all of these people to 10 years in prison just for accepting gifts,” Blatt argued. “Especially when federal officials face only two years for accepting gifts” under another federal statute.
…Adding… Cleanup starts at PRB…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced the appointment of James Montgomery to serve as the Executive Director of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB), pending senate confirmation.
James Montgomery has over thirty years of civil stewardship experience, and most recently served as the Director of Administrative Services with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts. In this role, he provided supervision and senior level support for the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Human Resources, and Director of Information Technology. Prior to his role with Suffolk County, Montgomery served as the Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and was Director of Administration and Finance. Montgomery also served as the Northeast/Midwest Vice President of Client Services at Intermedix Corporation, the largest emergency services and healthcare revenue cycle management/technology services company in the nation. He also has experience in procurement, administration, and finance from his time with the Boston Public Health Commission.
Montgomery began his career in Illinois working for the offices of several elected officials. He was then elected as Mayor of Taylorville, IL in 1997, where he served until 2005. Montgomery received a Bachelor of Arts from Millikin University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
This new leadership position will be responsible for overseeing administrative board operations, including the facilitation of additional domestic violence prevention training and other important equity-based trainings for board members. The creation of the executive director position reduces the workload placed on the PRB chair and allows for the chair to focus more closely on leading casework.
…Adding… Leader Curran…
Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) released the following statement in response to Gov. JB Pritzker’s appointment of an executive director to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board:
“Gov. Pritzker has still failed to provide a transparent accounting of the breakdown in the PRB process that led to the deadly release of Crosetti Brand. We welcome any addition that will help make the Board more effective at improving public safety, but a new staff position is not going to make up for an activist Governor appointing unqualified board members who operate with little to no transparency. Structural reforms such as raising the experience standards for PRB Board Members, increasing transparency requirements for hearings, and timely release notifications for crime victims and their families, are still desperately needed to improve public safety.”
* Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton…
Pregnancy and childbirth continue to claim more Black lives than any other ethnicity. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, from 2018 to 2020, Black women were three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women. Nationally, research has shown that Black families have the worst childbirth outcomes regardless of their income status or type of insurance coverage.
It’s one thing to understand the history of racial discrimination in the medical field; it is another thing entirely to see racism still plague public health in 2024. As a state leader and mother of Black women, this disturbs me to my very core.
I believe that leaders have a responsibility to create pathways for every community to meet their basic needs. To foster a fair Illinois and reach true health equity, we must advance racial justice. That starts with efforts like Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recently proposed $23 million Birth Equity Initiative investment. If approved, the initiative would:
Create a statewide blueprint to identify barriers and better coordinate work between state agencies across the full spectrum of maternal and child health supports.
Help Medicaid providers understand how to bill for services so they can maintain a sustainable business.
Expand the Illinois Reproductive Health Facilities Capital Grant program to support nonprofit and for-profit clinics providing or planning to provide innovative pregnancy-related services and abortion care to reduce birthing inequities — prioritizing underserved areas.
Launch a pilot program to provide diapers to low-income families and expand existing investments in evidence-based home-visit programs.
* STLPR…
The last 100 miles of Route 66 in southwest Illinois received $850,000 in state grant money in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the iconic American highway.
The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau in Alton secured the grants through the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for six projects that will be complete by the end of this summer.
“The intent is really to spark redevelopment of historic sites and attractions, help small business owners create roadside attractions or unique stops to keep travelers staying in Illinois longer and spending more dollars before they move on west on the route,” said Cory Jobe, president and CEO of Great Rivers & Routes.
* Here’s the rest…
* Block Club | CTA’s New ‘Dynamic’ Schedule Adds Little Train Service To Struggling System: The CTA began adding some pre-pandemic bus runs back to its schedule last month, but its new train schedule show no significant additions, transit advocates and a train operator said. “It’s pretty much the same,” a train operator said. “But more people are riding, and we need to see a service increase.”
* Crain’s | Urban flooding is a rising threat. What can cities do to safeguard their futures?: And here’s the rub: The cities designed and built their underground infrastructure for the kind of rainstorms they saw 50 or a 100 years ago, not for today’s increasingly more severe storms. When the rain comes tumbling down, it often has no place to flow except where it hurts humans the most: streets and basements.
* Crain’s | Johnson’s $1.25 billion bond plan hits speed bump: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $1.25 billion bond proposal was dealt a temporary blow today as a scheduled committee vote on the plan was stalled after opponents of the measure sought to water it down. The plan represents a significant shift in how the city funds affordable housing and economic projects and had been amended in recent weeks to accommodate concerns over how and where the money would be spent.
* Shaw Local | La Salle County to sue over body cameras? Officials say they were overcharged: On Thursday, the La Salle County Board agreed to retain outside counsel. Whichever firm or attorney is retained will be tasked with recovering some of the $296,000 spent on 40 units from Axon Body Cameras. In the resolution, the county said the manufacturers “may have violated federal laws and regulations that were enacted to allow an open market.”
* Press release | Rep. Barbara Hernandez to Hold Clinic to Spread Information on Expungement Proceedings: State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is holding a clinic with Kane County Circuit Clerk Theresa Barriero and other officials to teach attendees about expungment proceedings. The clinic will be held on Saturday, April 20 at the Aurora Public Library at 101 S. River Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Sun-Times | Cicero measles case marks 2nd infection reported in suburban Cook County: The first measles case in suburban Cook County was confirmed in late March and was linked to an outbreak that started at a migrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood. These are the first cases of measles reported in Chicago since 2019. The Cook County Department of Public Health said there is no known connection between the Cicero measles case and the Chicago migrant shelter. Statewide, there are 64 confirmed cases of measles, most of which are in Chicago.
* Block Club | Native Plants Coming To Eisenhower Expressway Embankments, State Officials Say: The state’s transportation department is cleaning up the sides of the Eisenhower Expressway to bring in new greenery, officials said. Between Morgan Street and Harlem Avenue, crews with the Illinois Department of Transportation have been removing invasive and dead plants and trees, mowing and removing litter and debris to make room for new plants along the embankments of the interstate, said spokesperson Maria Castaneda.
* Nieman News | The Chicago Tribune’s “Stalled Justice” wins the 2023 Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Journalism at Harvard: “Stalled Justice,” a Chicago Tribune investigation into the Cook County’s dysfunctional court system in Illinois, is the winner of the 2023 Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Journalism. Reported by Joe Mahr and Megan Crepeau, the four-part investigation exposed the massive delays and logjams that for years have plagued the Cook County courts. The reporters revealed the toll the problems have taken on both victims of crime seeking justice and defendants in jail who have waited years for trials.
* Springfield Business Journal | Wm. Van Coffee Café to open April 19: The original Wm. Van’s Coffee House at the corner of Seventh and Jackson streets closed in April 2022 and 7th Street Cidery later opened in the space. At the time, owners Court and Karen Conn indicated the closure was temporary and that Wm. Van’s would reopen in the future at a new location. Conn’s Hospitality Group purchased Vinegar Hill Mall and several surrounding properties in 2021 and moved its headquarters into the Dewitt Wickliffe Smith Mansion, part of the three-acre site just south of the Capitol complex. Trish & Mary’s Public House, an English-style pub, opened in October as the first new business in the revitalized space.
* Tribune | Oberweis Dairy files for bankruptcy: The family-owned dairy, which has dozens of ice cream stores and shelf space in grocery stores across the Midwest, owes more than $4 million to its 20 largest unsecured creditors, according to the bankruptcy filing Friday in Chicago. Bartlett-based Italian food service company Greco & Sons is listed as the largest unsecured creditor at more than $721,000 owed, according to the filing. Oberweis Dairy also owes the Cook County Treasurer more than $173,000.
* WaPo | Tesla will shed more than 10 percent of its workforce: In a separate layoff notice obtained by The Washington Post, employees were told early Monday morning that Tesla was cutting a significant number of jobs globally after a “thorough review of the organization.” “Over the years, we have grown rapidly with multiple factories scaling around the globe,” according to the email, which was shared with The Post. “With this rapid growth, there has been duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas. As we prepare the company for our next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity.”
* Sun-Times | WNBA Draft 2024: Live updates and results for the Sky, Caitlin Clark and more: Caitlin Clark, the Iowa superstar who break countless records during her four years in Iowa City, will likely head to the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 overall pick. The Los Angeles Sparks have the No. 2 pick and could be targeted Cameron Brink, who played nearby at Stanford. The Chicago Sky have the No. 3 and No. 7 picks, setting the team up for a potentially high-impact draft night haul. LSU’s Angel Reese, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson are among the players Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca could be targeting with those selections.
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How does this medical debt relief plan work?
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From an organization called Undue Medical Debt…
We acquire debt in large bundles from providers like hospitals and physician groups, as well as from collection agencies and debt buyers, millions of dollars at a time for a fraction of the face value. This means your donation relieves about 100x its value in medical debt. Due to industry standard debt prices anyone can be an impactful philanthropist.
That would be about a penny on the dollar.
The group claims to have erased nearly $12 billion in medical debt for more than 7.45 million people.
* It appears to work as advertised. Cook County has already used the program to eliminate nearly $350 million in medical debt for about 200,000 residents. So, Gov. Pritzker decided the state should also give it a go. From Pritzker’s February 21st budget address…
It’s also time to help those who have suffered financial harm, often through no fault of their own, from past failures of a broken health insurance and healthcare billing system. Treating a health emergency is not an optional expense. But too many Illinoisans have had their credit ruined or have been pushed into bankruptcy when they had one unexpected accident or one prolonged illness.
So today, I propose that over the next four years we eliminate $4 billion of medical debt for over 1 million Illinoisans. Working with a national non-profit called RIP Medical Debt, it costs on average one penny to buy back and eliminate every dollar of medical debt, and we can start this year with a $10 million dollar appropriation to relieve nearly $1 billion in medical debt for the first cohort of 340,000 Illinoisans. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has already done this for residents of Cook County. Let’s make this a reality for all of Illinois.
* Pritzker and Preckwinkle held a press conference today to highlight the proposal as the spring legislative session starts to heat up. From the press release…
Undue Medical Debt acquires medical debts belonging to: individuals four times or below the federal poverty level or those whose medical debt is 5% or more of their annual income. Debt is acquired in large portfolios for a fraction of their face value and then recipients of debt relief are notified with a branded envelope letting them know the good news: some or all of their medical debt has been erased.
Beginning in FY25 with a $10 million appropriation, the State can provide nearly $1 billion in medical debt relief for the first cohort of 340,000 Illinois residents. Loyola Medicine also recently announced they are joining the State’s efforts and forgiving over $112 million in medical debt for past and current patients, which will impact more than 60,000 Illinoisans. […]
In Illinois, 14% of the population has medical debt in collections. However, communities of color are disproportionately impacted, with nearly 20% of the Illinois population in communities of color having accumulated medical debt in collections. Those struggling with the weight of medical debt face unique challenges, including an increased risk of bankruptcy, difficulties affording basic needs, and even pressure to forgo needed medical care.
Beginning in FY25 with a $10 million appropriation, the State can provide nearly $1 billion in medical debt relief for the first cohort of 340,000 Illinois residents. Loyola Medicine also recently announced they are joining the State’s efforts and forgiving over $112 million in medical debt for past and current patients, which will impact more than 60,000 Illinoisans.
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* Gov. JB Pritzker at this morning’s news conference…
Q: The state as well as the county have made the commitment to funding to help with the migrant crisis. Today, a City Council committee and then on Wednesday, the City Council is expected to vote on appropriating $70 million from their reserve funds to meet the amount of money the two of you had hoped the city would commit. Have you had any conversations with the mayor or has your staff talked to his staff about that? And do you have any concerns that some members of the City Council could balk at this and want to see the money spent to other needs that the city has?
Pritzker: Look, there are people who hold office in Illinois who don’t think that we should care for the people that are being shipped here by the Texas governor, that we should just let them wander around homeless with no food with no medical care. They’re just people who believe that. I’m not suggesting that any particular members of the city council believe that. But I know there is just generally a feeling like hey, it’s our money. We should apply it to the people who’ve lived here for a long time.
But the reality is that it’s much better for the city and for the state. If we provide just basic, basic humanitarian care for people who arrive here, and so we’re attempting to do that. I know that the mayor is committed to this, certainly the President of the Cook County Board is committed to it, and I am.
I’m hopeful and I think I’m optimistic that the city council will commit to this. It’s the right program. By the way, the state is taking more than a majority of the cost on, and so collectively this kind of partnership is the right way to go for the taxpayers. It’s the right way to go for doing what’s right for the new arrivals in Chicago. I’m proud of the work that the volunteers the people on the ground are doing just to provide these basic humanitarian needs.
Q: President Preckwinkle, can we ask you to weigh in on that? Have you had conversations with the mayor, is there any work that you’re doing to help this get over the hump if you will and get this approved?
Preckwinkle: Well, the first thing I should say to follow on what the governor said, you know, I’m not a student of comparative religion. I’m a history teacher, but I don’t know any faith tradition that doesn’t say you shouldn’t care for the people, strangers who come to your door.
So I want to thank the governor for his steadfast support of our new arrivals and my own commissioners. I spoke with each of them prior to the public announcement of the partnership between the city the county in the state that try to provide more resources for new arrivals and got an overwhelmingly positive response.
I’m grateful to the governor for his leadership. I’m grateful to our commissioners for their support for a county investment in new arrivals.
I know that there’s a vote with the budget committee I think at two o’clock today and I hope the matter comes out of committee and is taken up on Wednesday.
Q: I understand you did speak to alderman over the weekend and not all of them are on board. What was your method of trying to convince them that this is a good vote.
Preckwinkle: I said some of the things I just said here. And I talked to people who are my colleagues in the city council, when I served there for almost 20 years and shared with them that the county was prepared to step up and the state of course, and hopefully they would as well.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
* Related coverage…
* CNN | Cities desperately need money to handle the migrant surge. Congress recently gave them less: Congress last month approved the fiscal year 2024 funding level for FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in the federal funding package, nearly six months into the fiscal year. Cities, counties and states around the nation have repeatedly asked the federal government for more money to handle the surge of migrants entering the US, and the Biden administration last year called on lawmakers to pump an additional $600 million into the program. The program has not been able to provide any additional financial support since late 2023. But instead, lawmakers cut the program’s funding to $650 million, down nearly 20% from the prior year. The House and Senate appropriations committees did not return requests for comment.
* Tribune | Chicago and Illinois to receive $19M from feds to help with migrant crisis: The city of Chicago and the state of Illinois are set to split more than $19 million in new congressionally approved funding released to assist cities and states in addressing the migrant crisis, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced Friday. The Department of Homeland Security released the first installment of $300 million in grants to support communities providing services to migrants, federal officials said Friday. The funds come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
* ABC Chicago | City Council Budget Committee to discuss mayor’s $70 million proposal to fund migrants in Chicago: Last week, the city said there are nearly 10,000 migrants are staying in city shelters right now across Chicago. Soon, the closed St. Bartholomew School in Portage Park will become the latest shelter for asylum-seekers, and it is set to open in April. The committee will meet at 2 p.m. on Monday to consider the mayor’s proposal. But the full council would need to approve the funding.
* WGN | CDPH Commissioner screening new migrants for tuberculosis: Dr. Olusimbo Ige, Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, joins Lisa Dent to discuss what her office is doing to protect the public after a small number of tuberculosis cases were detected among migrants at city shelters and whether we should be concerned about a larger outbreak.
* Reuters | Trump says migrants are fueling violent crime. Here is what the research shows: A range of studies by academics and think tanks have shown that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans. A more limited universe of studies specifically examine criminality among immigrants in the U.S. illegally but also find that they do not commit crimes at a higher rate.
* AP | How migrant workers have contributed to strong U.S. job growth: How has the economy managed to prosper, adding hundreds of thousands of jobs, month after month, at a time when the Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates to fight inflation — normally a recipe for a recession? Increasingly, the answer appears to be immigrants — whether living in the United States legally or not. The influx of foreign-born adults vastly raised the supply of available workers after a U.S. labor shortage had left many companies unable to fill jobs.
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* First, some background…
* Chicago Reader | Pritzker proposes closing two prisons—temporarily: Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced a $900 million proposal to raze and rebuild two of the state’s oldest prisons. It follows an independent report released last year that found a prison system in disrepair. Housing units at Stateville Correctional Center, the report found, “are not suitable for any 21st century correctional center.” Many of the prison’s buildings are in a state of “complete degradation, inoperability, and need for replacement.” Logan Correctional Center, one of the state’s two women’s prisons, is “inefficient, ineffective, and unsuitable for any population,” according to the study. The report shows what people incarcerated in Illinois have long said: the state’s prisons are crumbling. Lead paint and black mold decorate cell walls. Hot water is hard to come by, and the water that does flow is brown and contaminated.
* WTTW | Pritzker Announces $900M Plan to Demolish, Rebuild Stateville and Logan Prisons: But the [John Howard Association] questioned the necessity of rebuilding the facilities and called for their permanent closure. “This announcement does not address the fact that the Illinois prisons are currently well under capacity, with close to 12,000 excess prison beds throughout the system; we can and should also permanently close some of our worst prisons. This makes good sense financially and morally,” the association said. The possibility that the prisons won’t be rebuilt is largely why AFSCME, a politically powerful ally of Democrats that represents 90,000 active and retired public employees, has “grave concerns.”
* Pritzker was asked today about how the process is going…
Q: Do you have an update on the plans to rebuild the Stateville and Logan prisons?
Pritzker: I don’t think there’s any update that you’re not aware of. There there will be hearings. That’s part of the process when you’re trying to close down or rebuild these kinds of facilities.
So there will be public input in both of those communities. And then of course, the legislature itself will be weighing in on the investment in those new facilities.
But let me be clear, we have to replace those facilities. I mean, this is not an optional issue. There are lawsuits that have been brought to court in Illinois, decisions that are pending, that would require, likely, the closure or replacement of those facilities.
So we want to get ahead of that and make sure we’re doing the right thing. This should have been done frankly, many years ago, and it’s been put off because of the lack of resources. Now we have the resources to do it. But we shouldn’t have waited even this long. It’s the right thing to do now for the safety of the correctional officers and the safety of the prisoners.
(Thanks to Isabel for the transcript.)
…Adding… Sun-Times…
Brian Harrington remembers the water in prison.
Sometimes it was brown, or maybe it had black particles. Sometimes it smelled bad, he said.
“You would wake up, and it smelled like a sewer,” he said.
Harrington was 14 when he was sentenced to 25 years for murder. He served just over half that time before Gov. J.B. Pritzker granted him a rare clemency in 2020.
Now Harrington advocates for more humane treatment and better conditions for those incarcerated in the state prisons.
He’s part of a coalition of groups that Monday petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking that officials there step in and require the Pritzker administration to provide clean water to prisoners.
The petition alleges “chronic and systemic shortcomings” within the state’s departments of corrections, public health and environmental protection.
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* Here’s a clip of the protest this morning which blocked traffic near O’Hare Airport…
* Coverage…
* The governor was asked about the O’Hare protests at an unrelated news conference…
Q: Governor Could you also talk about what’s going on at O’Hare this morning and I’m not sure because you’ve been here doing this, but there’s been a rather large protest people have had to literally walk from the highway up to O’Hare because of the Palestinian protest. And it seems to be perhaps a preview of what we might see for the DNC this summer.
Pritzker: Well, first of all, I support the idea that people should you know express their First Amendment rights and protest if they would like to.
I do not think that they should be disruptive of the traffic of people trying to get from one place or to another. I think they can have their voices heard and let people move along their day.
I’m convinced that law enforcement ought to make sure that those byways and highways are open for people and still be respectful of those protests.
Q: Are you concerned people are going to watch this tonight and say I’m out of here this summer when the DNC comes because look what’s already going on today?
Pritzker: Look, there are protests at every convention. I have to say every four and eight years. And so I don’t think it’s any surprise to people that there would be protests. They come in all shapes and sizes. And I don’t think that anybody’s unfamiliar of the protests that have occurred because of the Israel-Hamas war. But I do think that again, we have to make sure that at all times that people are able to get where they want to go while at the same time respecting the people who were protesting.
Q: Some of the groups that are wanting to protest the DNC say that the permitting process is unfair. What do you think of that?
Pritzker: As you know, the state’s not in charge of that permitting process. And you know, and again, I respect peoples’ right to protest.
I also respect peoples’ right to come to the convention and be able to get where they want to go without having to be greeted with people yelling at them as they’re walking to the convention hall.
Having said that, again, First Amendment rights are immutable and we ought to be protecting those wherever we can.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
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On Harmon, the White Sox, the Bears and BIPA
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. None of Harmon’s comments received any major play, so I thought I would highlight them in my weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Chicago-area news outlets have been so intent on amplifying every possible angle on the proposals for new publicly financed sports stadiums that they’ve sometimes missed the bigger picture.
Senate President Don Harmon last week tried to make it simple for everyone what that bigger picture is.
In a speech to the Illinois Chamber, in town for its annual lobby day, Harmon said he made it clear to White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf when he visited Springfield earlier this year seeking public funding for a new stadium, and he has tried to make it clear ever since, that there is “next to no appetite to fund a new stadium with taxpayer dollars.”
Harmon didn’t leave the door open a crack by saying “next to no appetite.” There might be some members who could be open to the idea, but there simply aren’t nearly enough of those folks right now to cobble together a majority of 30 votes in the Senate and 60 in the House and a governor’s signature.
Meetings he and other leaders have had with other sports team owners have also been blown out of proportion. Harmon told the audience all sorts of people meet with him on a regular basis, “but the common theme running through all of this is that it’s often my job to let them down.”
Hopefully, people can take a breath and stop hyping every sports team owner move as some sort of sign. I mean, we haven’t even seen an actual plan yet from the White Sox or the Bears (or the Sky, or …).
Harmon’s overall message in his speech, however, was aimed at the business community itself and boiled down to the old adage, “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.” He emphasized that point when he was asked about a bill to scale back penalties in the state’s controversial Biometric Information Privacy Act.
Sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham, Senate Bill 2979 would limit the penalties for violating state law on businesses collecting biometric information (fingerprints, eye scans, etc.) from workers and customers without prior informed consent. The law currently penalizes each unlawful collection of that data, but the bill would limit the penalties to each person from whom data is collected, saving businesses that violate the law a ton of money.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled last year that its hands were tied when the fast-food chain White Castle appealed its loss of a lawsuit the company claimed could cost it as much as $17 billion in damages. The company argued, in part, that the 2008 law could result in an unconstitutional “annihilative liability” for businesses caught up in lawsuits. The top court said it was up to the General Assembly to make any changes and all but begged the legislature to act.
When Harmon was asked about possible additions to the bill, he said the proposal was designed specifically to address the Supreme Court’s ruling and added (like with the stadiums) he didn’t see “an appetite for additional amendments.”
Harmon also said he was “a bit disappointed” at the opposition from some top business groups. “We are delivering a huge win for Illinois businesses,” Harmon claimed. “It’s not everything they want, but if you listen to my speech, progress is good. Nobody gets everything that they want.”
“I also recognize,” Harmon said, “that many bills are awful and horrible and the end of the world until they pass, when they’re suddenly really good. And I hope that the business community will recognize the importance of this reform when it passes.”
Two days later, Cunningham called it for a vote.
Some groups had pushed Cunningham to explicitly make his law retroactive to help companies that have already been hit with massive penalties. But Cunningham said courts could “take judicial notice” of the amendment when asked to determine or reduce an award.
Asked by Senate Republican Leader John Curran about data center owners who are worried they could be sued for merely hosting illegally collected biometric information stored by their clients on their cloud servers, Cunningham acknowledged the issue but said no data centers have yet been sued. He said he wanted to focus on the Supreme Court’s “invitation” to address the law. He did not rule out future action, though.
After bringing up another issue raised by the trucking industry, Curran eventually said he’d recommend supporting the bill, and it passed 46-13, with five Republicans joining their leader.
Perfect was not the enemy of the good.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* CWB | Target’s anti-shoplifting camera program is illegal, attorneys claim, seeking $1K to $5K damages per visit for Illinois customers: A woman named Arnetta Dean is the lead plaintiff in the suit. Her lawyers claim she “has entered Target’s stores on numerous occasions,” and each location she visited is believed to be equipped with facial recognition video surveillance systems. Yet, she claims she was never notified, nor did she give Target permission to collect her biometric data. If Dean proves her allegations, Target should award her and every affected Target customer who joins the suit “$5,000 for each and every intentional and/or reckless violation” of the state’s law and “statutory damages of $1,000 for each and every negligent violation,” the suit claims. According to the filing, “thousands” of Target customers might be eligible for payouts. Illinois courts have found that the biometrics law allows aggrieved parties to receive $1,000 to $5,000 for every violation within five years.
* Daily Herald | ‘It’s complicated’: Why lobbyists think Bears could be back to Arlington if bid for lakefront stadium fails: John Dunn and Matt Glavin of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the firm hired by the school districts last year, have met with political leaders and fellow lobbyists for the NFL franchise as the team navigates the corridors of the state Capitol in its latest bid for public subsidies. “If the Bears can get it done in Chicago, I think they’ll try to do it. If they can’t get it done in Chicago, this is just me guessing, I think they’re going to be right back here (in Arlington Heights),” said Dunn, who was former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s director of intergovernmental affairs. “They’re shopping for the best deal they can get, like any other business.”
* Tribune | Economic development leader Andrea Zopp adds a new twist to her roster: The Chicago Bears: But now Zopp is joining the Chicago Bears organization. Working on a part-time basis as senior adviser for legal and business affairs, she’s set to parlay her experience to consult for the team at a time when Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren envisions construction of a closed-roof stadium complex south of Soldier Field that will create jobs and opportunities. In March, the Bears announced plans to contribute $2 billion to a publicly owned stadium at the museum campus site and are crafting a more formal presentation.
* Tribune | As the Chicago Bears prepare to unveil their vision for a new downtown stadium, projects in other NFL cities could prove instructive: At present, the Friends of the Parks organization continues urging the Bears to consider alternative city sites outside the Museum Campus, emphasizing its aim to limit development along the lakefront. Resistance from the group likely will be just one significant obstacle for the Bears, particularly after the its opposition proved influential in thwarting filmmaker George Lucas’ plans to build a museum in the same area.
* WGN | Report: City shoots down latest proposal in Bears, White Sox stadium discussions: Crain’s Justin Laurence reported mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is holding discussions with the Bears and White Sox over the course of the next week as the two professional sports franchises try to arrange a financial deal that would allow them both to build new stadiums within city limits. […] Currently, the funds generated through the city’s amusement tax — Which come from a 9% tax on ticket sales at sporting and other entertainment events and services across the city — Go to general services and other amenities Chicagoans expect from their city government.
* Tribune | ‘No one likes losing.’ Chicago White Sox drop to 2-13 — the worst 15-game start in franchise history.:
The Sox took another step in the wrong direction as their record fell to 2-13 — the worst 15-game start in franchise history. The previous low mark through 15 games was 3-12, which had occurred three times — most recently in 1968. “Look, we’re getting punched in the gut right now,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “This is how you find out what we’re made of as a group.”
* The Athletic | White Sox can move to Nashville, but the Campfire Milkshake stays in Chicago: As conversations go before a White Sox game, it was about as upbeat as could be. As often is the case, the food and beverages at 35th and Shields are more enticing than the on-field product. If the White Sox ever move to Nashville, they could just turn the stadium into an upscale farmers market.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* SJ-R…
The Illinois Senate wrapped up a busy week in Springfield, advancing a total of 244 bills before a Friday deadline.
From addressing the mishandling of human remains at a Carlinville funeral home to establishing a new state mushroom — the Calvatia gigantea or commonly known as the giant puffball — the bills now move to the House. […]
Senate Bill 2933, passing in the Senate unanimously on April 11, would prohibit a consumer reporting group from using a person’s medical debt when creating their credit report. Bill sponsor Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, said this form of debt does not paint an accurate picture on someone’s credit history, these expenditures often of their control. Fellow Rockford Democrat Rep. Maurice West will lead the bill in the House. […]
Senate Bill 2979, which passed 46-13, would change BIPA’s violation accrual so that each initial collection of a fingerprint or other biometric data would amount to one violation, rather than a violation occurring for each individual scan. Employees might scan their fingerprints dozens of times per shift if they’re unlocking doors or cabinets with those scans.
* AP…
On a brisk day at a restaurant outside Chicago, Deb Robertson sat with her teenage grandson to talk about her death.
She’ll probably miss his high school graduation. She declined the extended warranty on her car. Sometimes she wonders who will be at her funeral.
Those things don’t frighten her much. The 65-year-old didn’t cry when she learned two months ago that the cancerous tumors in her liver were spreading, portending a tormented death.
But later, she received a call. A bill moving through the Illinois Legislature to allow certain terminally ill patients to end their own lives with a doctor’s help had made progress.
Then she cried.
“Medical-aid in dying is not me choosing to die,” she says she told her 17-year-old grandson. “I am going to die. But it is my way of having a little bit more control over what it looks like in the end.”
SB3499’s Third Reading deadline was changed to May 3.
* Pantagraph…
In Springfield, state lawmakers are considering a bill aimed at expanding the possibilities of dual credit education opportunities. The measure would alter partnerships between community colleges and high schools participating in programs, which give students credit for both high school and college, and change the requirements for teaching those courses.
House Bill 5020 was filed during this session of the General Assembly to amend the Illinois Dual Credit Quality Act, which passed in 2010 and was revised in 2018 to establish guidelines for high school students taking college-level courses for dual credit, accounting for both their high school and college transcripts.
The new bill, sponsored by state Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, D-Villa Park, aims to expand the options for students seeking to enroll in dual credit classes by allowing high schools to “college shop” outside their community college district if their community college partner can not provide a certain course. […]
Blair-Sherlock has introduced multiple versions of the amending bill, and the latest includes a change to instructor credentials that would require they hold a master’s degree to teach dual credit classes.
* Tribune…
The Illinois Senate has approved a measure that would bar consumer reporting agencies from including a person’s medical debt in their credit reports.
“You cannot predict when you get sick or suffer an injury. You may be the best financial (planner) in the world having paid all your bills, but unexpectedly get sick and suddenly you can’t pay your bills,” state Sen. Steve Stadelman, a Rockford-area Democrat, said during a news conference at the state Capitol. “No one should have to go into medical debt just to get the quality health care they need. No one should ever have to make a horrible choice between their physical health and their financial health.”
The Senate passed the measure in a bipartisan 58-0 vote on Thursday, and it now heads to the House for consideration.
The legislation makes it illegal for consumer reporting agencies to “make, create, or furnish any consumer report or credit report containing, incorporating, or reflecting any adverse information” related to a consumer’s medical debt. However, the measure does not apply to medical debt charged to a credit card or an open-end or closed-end extension of credit from a bank unless the credit extension was limited to the purchase of health care services.
* SJ-R…
Among a series of anti-vaping legislation lawmakers are pursuing, House Bill 5069 would require manufacturers to provide certification that their products have not been adulterated and have been approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Those in violation could have their distributor licenses suspended or revoked and be subject to civil penalties. […]
The issue has made its way to Springfield, where a prior analysis by The State Journal-Register found several convenience stores in the city selling unauthorized products such as Breeze bars, Glas vapes and Juul— denied authorization by the FDA in July 2022. […]
Matthieu Fortin, owner of the Upper Limits vape shop on Second Street, described the process as confusing and often burdensome for individuals trying to enter into the industry. […]
Bill sponsor and state Rep. Bob Rita argues his bill is not about hurting retailers like Fortin but rather about holding distributors and manufacturers accountable. He pushed back on characterization that his bill helps big tobacco, seeing it more as a way to help law enforcement to identify illegal products.
* WGEM…
Illinois schools may soon be required to have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for more than only sports.
The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring schools have the devices during the school day and during all school-sponsored extracurricular activities.
An AED is a machine used to shock someone’s heart back into a normal rhythm when they’re going into cardiac arrest. […]
The bill passed the Senate unanimously. It now heads to the House of Representatives.
* WAND…
Illinois is one step closer to creating a new state agency to oversee early childhood education programs.
Senators and advocates say the Department of Early Childhood could provide a more integrated and holistic system of services for young children and families across the state.
The future agency will take over the early childhood block grant program, child care assistance program, home visiting and early intervention services. […]
Senate Bill 1 passed unanimously out of the Senate Friday. The proposal now moves to the House for further consideration.
* WSPY…
This Session State Representative Harry Benton has introduced House Bill 4088, which aims to create a state income tax deduction for any amount of union dues not covered by a federal income tax deduction. If passed, this bill would ensure that all of a taxpayer’s expenditures on union dues would be tax deductible, between federal and state income taxes. […]
The proposed legislation underscores Benton’s commitment to supporting working families and union members, a cause that resonates with his own background as a Local 444 Ironworker. By allowing for a state tax deduction on union dues, the bill seeks to alleviate the financial burden on union members and encourage collective bargaining efforts.
HB4088 remains in the Rules Committee, it has not been given an extension.
* Tribune…
Following a serious collision last year between a Chicago Transit Authority train and a snowplow near the city’s border with Evanston, the Illinois Senate unanimously approved a measure on Friday that would mandate various transportation agencies to issue annual reports for the public that detail the most up to date federal rail-safety recommendations.
All 59 state senators — 40 Democrats and 19 Republicans — voted in favor of the measure that would require the yearly reports from the CTA, Illinois Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority and Metra that specify the safety recommendations made over a one-year period from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as the statuses of their implementation.
The reports, which would detail the recommendations and the agencies’ progress in following them by Dec. 31 of each year, must be viewable to the public online as well as to the Illinois General Assembly.
The bill, which would go into effect on July 1 if it becomes law, now moves to the House for consideration.
* Daily Herald…
In many ways, state Sen. Dan McConchie’s proposal to require new electric-vehicle charging stations to be accessible to disabled drivers is one of those legislative measures that would seem destined to slide easily through the General Assembly and into law. […]
But a larger question also seems to deserve some attention: How did it come to pass that accessibility alternatives weren’t required when the existing charging stations were put in operation? […]
McConchie, a Hawthorn Woods Republican, was generous in his reflection on that question for a story by our Jenny Whidden this week.
“This is what happens with new technology,” he said. “Something new comes up, you can’t think of every eventuality as you’re starting, and as it begins to really take hold and progress, we begin to see some of the issues and begin to fine tune. It’s not unusual that this has occurred, but it does look like we’re going to be a leader on this issue as far as this rollout across the country and I’m just excited at the prospect of Illinois being one of the first states to really, I think, do this right.”
At least insofar as it involves disability standards, the most troubling phrase in that analysis is, “It’s not unusual that this has occurred.”
* Scott Holland…
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if the insurance companies don’t see it that way, lawmakers might force their hands. […]
As Capitol News Illinois explained, current state law stipulates policies must cover genetic testing for ovarian and breast cancers, alongside annual skin, colon, pancreatic and prostate cancer screenings for people with doctor recommendations or family histories. But SB 2697 would expand that law by mandating coverage for susceptibility and prevention screening, including genetic testing, for all cancer types for anyone with a family history. Private insurers could charge no more than $50 to policyholders while Medicaid patients would have no out-of-pocket cost.
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, sponsors the bill, which passed the Senate 59-0 Wednesday. State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, became the chief House sponsor Thursday. […]
Quite obviously, no law can cure cancer. But this idea has bipartisan momentum needed to pass and the potential to change lives.
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Open thread
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Subscribers were told about this last Tuesday…
Today, Patrick Sheehan was selected by the 37th Representative District Committee to fill the vacancy of retiring State Representative Tim Ozinga in the Illinois House of Representatives.
“I am honored to be the new Representative for the 37th District and serve the residents of Will and Suburban Cook counties,” said Patrick Sheehan. “I cannot wait to hit the ground running for suburban families by fighting tax hikes, keeping our communities safe, growing our economy and making a more ethical state government.”
With nearly two decades of service as a Police Officer, Patrick Sheehan brings a wealth of experience and dedication to his role as State Representative. Additionally, he has served as a Lockport Alderman and former Park Commissioner, illustrating his longstanding commitment to community engagement and leadership. His involvement in local initiatives, such as his presidency at the Lockport Jr Porters Football & Cheer Program and coaching at the Lockport Soccer Club, further underscores his deep ties to the community. Patrick resides happily with his wife, Susie, and their five children.
“The Illinois House Republicans are happy to welcome Patrick as the third law enforcement officer serving in our caucus,” said House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. “With the public safety challenges our state faces, Patrick’s expertise will enhance the general assembly and help make Illinois a place where families can feel safe and succeed.”
* Isabel’s top picks…
* WBEZ | Illinois moves one step closer to removing ‘forever chemicals’ from state drinking water: If sampling returns levels of PFAS above the new standard, water systems have another two years to implement technology to reduce PFAS. The new guidelines apply to 66,000 public drinking water systems across the country, but the EPA estimates only 6-10% of those public water systems will have to take action to reduce PFAS levels to meet the new requirement. The new drinking water regulations “will change some things” in Illinois, according to Ariel Hampton, of the Illinois Environmental Council. “We will certainly see changes in about three to five years,” Hampton said.
* Tribune | Hundreds gather to remember Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough: ‘Compassionate, determined, undaunted’: Amid stories about her compassion and determination, Yarbrough was eulogized Sunday at a public funeral replete with the tributes bestowed upon an elected public official who championed causes that helped veterans, homeowners, public health and social justice. She was elected in 2018 as the county’s first African American and female clerk. Voters reelected her in 2022. Though the tributes largely focused on Yarbrough as an innovator in Illinois politics who helped open the door for other women, her personal life as a wife, mother and grandmother also were honored.
* Sun-Times | PPP fraud investigation by state watchdog finds $7.2 million in improper loans: Since the coronavirus pandemic began here in early 2020, the Office of Executive Inspector General has found 277 cases of wrongdoing involving PPP loans, which were typically forgiven, meaning they didn’t have to be repaid. The investigators focused on loans of more than $20,000 and found about $7.2 million in improper ones, according to a new report by the office.
The governor will be in Chicago at 10 am to join advocates to uplift medical debt relief legislation and at noon Governor Pritzker will join ComEd in celebrating state’s largest commercial solar installation. Click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest…
* WTVO | 4.1M people in Illinois could be eligible to get their criminal records expunged: The expungement process begins with a petition to the court, Marlon Chamberlain, Founder of the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishment said millions are eligible in the state alone. “In Illinois, there’s an estimated 4.1 million people that will be impacted if, if and when we’re able to eliminate these permanent punishments,” said Chamberlain. “And what that would do is that would give people the ability to dream, to become doctors, to become lawyers, to become teachers and elected officials and entrepreneurs and pastors. So it would give people the ability to evolve and not have to worry about the background following them for life.”
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ‘pragmatic progressive’ approach being put to the test: With March primaries come and gone, work is underway in earnest on approving a state spending plan for the coming budget year before the General Assembly’s scheduled May 24 adjournment. The proposal Pritzker laid out in February attempted to build on past progressive successes — such as last year’s expansion of state-funded preschool programs — without overpromising and potentially jeopardizing the state’s hard-won credit upgrades, a core accomplishment the governor guards jealously.
* WTAX | Study: Removing sales tax on groceries hurts cities more than it helps families: “I think there is a perception that the grocery tax is very regressive,” said Elizabeth Powers, an associate professor of economics at the U of I and interim associate director of its Institute of Government an Public Affairs.“That it causes very low-income people to pay more than their fair share of taxes.” Those families, Powers says, pay roughly $3600 a year in groceries and thus would save $36 per year. As for cities. Powers says, “It’s estimated that municipalities lost about $360 million; municipalities are perceiving this as a significant hit to their budget.”
* SJ-R | Springfield business owner warns of potential consequences of anti-youth vaping measure: HB 5069, he said, will effectively prohibit him from selling products that make up the majority of the store’s revenue, putting his business and vaping operations throughout the state at-risk of closure. “This isn’t about kids,” Fortin told The State Journal-Register. “This is solely an attempt to hand to take these products off the market and to give big tobacco a monopoly.”
* Nerd Wallet | Rising inflation means Illinois’ required car insurance limits may not be enough protection: Inflation and supply chain problems continue to impact Americans. Auto insurance rates have risen as a result, along with the prices of new and used cars, medical care and even car maintenance. State-required car insurance limits haven’t followed suit, however, and even drivers with higher limits may not be protected. If you’re driving around with only the minimum amount of car insurance required, then you’re probably underinsured.
* Daily Herald | Illinois’ solar industry sees continued growth with help of 2021 climate law: Industry leaders say the explosive growth can be traced back to the state’s massive climate bill, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act or CEJA. The legislative package, passed in September 2021, put Illinois on the climate leaderboard and built upon the state’s previous climate bill, the Future Energy Jobs Act. […] Part of the legislation’s solar success has been due to the long-term funding and goals it put in place, namely reaching 50% renewable energy by 2050, said Amy Heart, the senior vice president of policy for Sunrun.
* Daily Southtown | Lawsuit accuses Dolton official of non-consensual sex with ‘blacked out’ village employee: But, according to the lawsuit, the employee was fired shortly after bringing the accusation against the official to Henyard. And the security guard alleged “within days” of telling Henyard about his interactions with the trustee, he was removed from his role in the mayor’s security detail and was “demoted to patrol duty.”
* WGN | DCHD: First measles case confirmed in DuPage County: DCHD officials said the case does not appear to be linked to new arrival shelters in Chicago and the source of infection is unknown at this time. The person who was diagnosed with measles has received outpatient medical care, and DCHD said they are “working diligently with public health partners to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.”
* Sun-Times | New name for Starved Rock State Park? State officials ‘willing to open discussions’: Leaders at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said this week there are “no immediate plans” to rebrand Starved Rock State Park in La Salle County, but officials are open to discussing a potential name change if Native American groups push for it.
* Tribune | Activists to protest ‘with or without permits’ when DNC arrives in Chicago this summer: “We’ll be marching with or without permits. This DNC is the most important one since 1968, also in Chicago when Vietnam War protesters and the black liberation movement organized mass demonstrations that were violently repressed,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, at a coalition conference Saturday on the Near West Side to organize protest efforts. “The march on the DNC will be the largest mobilization for Palestine in the history of the city.”
* Politico | Democrats descend on Chicago as specter of ‘68 convention looms: Democrats say they have the convention’s logistics under control and are confident Chicago Police and federal officials will be able to manage the protesters who are expected to converge on Chicago for the Aug. 19-22 convention. Protest organizers expect as many as 30,000 demonstrators could come in August.
* Block Club | Cops Who Shot At Dexter Reed Had History Of Traffic Stops Drivers Say Were Unwarranted, New Docs Show: Three of the incidents under investigation happened just in the month before officers killed Reed. On March 6, five of the officers involved in the shootout stopped a person in a different instance, the newly released documents show. The driver who was stopped filed a complaint, saying the officers stopped him and searched his car without justification in the 3800 block of West Jackson Boulevard.
* Crain’s | We now know where Johnson wants to get the extra $70M for migrants: The $70 million will come from the city’s reserve balance. The city must set aside a small percentage of cash to have on hand in case of a catastrophic event. The city also sets aside a reserve to fund up to 30 and 60 days of government services and an additional rainy-day fund that has been boosted in recent budgets.
* Tribune | In a legal oddity, alleged police abuse victim to stand trial again for a double murder even after governor commuted his sentence: The evidence against him is more than three decades old. The case unfolded in the notorious Jon Burge era. Reed, who has for years accused police of beating him into a false confession, was long ago found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Since then his conviction was reversed, then reinstated; then he was ultimately ordered to stand trial anew — without the use of the tainted confession. And amid the muddle of court fights, Gov. J.B. Pritzker commuted Reed’s sentence, meaning he cannot serve one more moment of prison time on the case. After Reed was freed, he was picked up on new charges out of state — so at the end of the trial, he will go back behind bars, but not for the murder.
* Sun-Times | Caffeinated competition: World’s best tasters grind in Chicago at Specialty Coffee Expo: Every aspect of coffee was represented by vendors from around the world on the convention floor — which doubled as battlegrounds on Saturday for some of the world’s most refined palettes and sophisticated pours. The World Coffee Championships — or the “coffee Olympics,” as one organizer put it — have included a variety of java jousts since 2000, including tasting, brewing and latte art.
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Live coverage
Monday, Apr 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune…
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court/ is set to hear oral arguments in a case challenging the very statute that Madigan was charged under for the Solis episode, which is commonly referred to as “666” because of its number in the federal criminal code.
How the high court comes down could have a resounding impact on political corruption prosecutions in Illinois — including the case against Madigan set for trial in October. […]
Snyder’s lawyers have argued it wasn’t a bribe at all, but a legal thank-you gesture, not unlike sending a fruit basket to a politician at holiday time in appreciation for their work. In their brief to the Supreme Court earlier this year, Snyder’s attorneys said the interpretation of the law by Chicago’s appellate court differs starkly from other districts and potentially criminalizes all sorts of otherwise innocuous behavior. […]
But federal prosecutors have said the plain language of the statute, which bars someone from “corruptly” soliciting or receiving something over $5,000 in value “intending to be influenced or rewarded,” leaves no question that doling out rewards to a politician for an official act is a type of “pernicious graft” that Congress clearly wanted to outlaw.
Here’s a great background story from the Sun-Times…
A cash-strapped mayor in northwest Indiana goes to a trucking company after engineering city contracts in its favor, and he tells its owners he needs money.
They pay him $13,000 for consulting. But there’s no evidence he did any work.
The feds call that corruption. But next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether the mayor even committed a crime under a law that’s popular among federal prosecutors — including those pursuing former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.
The once-powerful Chicago Democrat would likely be on trial right now if it weren’t for the arguments Monday before the nation’s high court in the conviction appeal of former Portage, Ind. mayor James Snyder. One judge delayed Madigan’s trial until October to see how the court rules. A second put sentencing hearings on hold in a related bribery case involving ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and three others.
The judges are waiting for a decision from a Supreme Court that has taken “a very narrow view” of public corruption lately, said former Detroit U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois.
The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to a lack of a centralized federal or state removal strategy, as well as inadequate funding and insufficient inventories of where lead pipes are located.
In Illinois – which has the most lead pipes per capita of any state, according to a 2023 study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – water suppliers are in the process of inventorying their lead pipes to get a clearer picture of timelines for removal over the next several decades. […]
Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed FY25 budget would allocate $20 million to lead service line replacement planning grants. The capital infrastructure budget proposal also includes around $340 million in reappropriated funding along with almost $260 million in new appropriation for Lead Service Line Replacement loans.
* Rep. Bob Morgan and Sen. Sara Feigenholtz reject Mayor Johnson’s request for a meeting…
* Here’s the rest…
* Crain’s | Illinois awards first abortion training grants: Three groups will share $2 million in funding to provide training to abortion providers as part of Illinois’ efforts to improve access to abortions in the state. The Abortion Provider Capacity Building Grant Program is providing grants to Midwest Access Project, Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
* State Week | DCFS makes a push for improvement: No state agency gets more negative headlines than the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Along with tragic outcomes, the department has struggled to keep up with demand and provide proper placements. A new director has taken over. Heidi Mueller recently updated a judge about efforts to find better housing options. This comes as the agency is in line for an increase in funding and a push to bring on more case workers.
* Center Square | Illinois corrections official defends handling of info to parole board:[Alyssa Williams-Schafer] defended IDOC’s handling of the case. “So currently, the Department of Corrections provides a violation report as well as a notification of charges to the parole board. So that violation report notification of charges is created by the agent, reviewed by the commander and then submitted,” she said. “So it has to be served within a certain period of time to the individual in custody. After it is served copies of those, particular reports are then submitted to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board as well as our automated management system, which is our Parole Communication and Command Center.”
* WSIL | Senator Fowler invites Southern Illinois students to State Capitol: Wednesday’s event was the second of two parts. The schools initially met in the fall at SIU to draft imaginary bills. On Wednesday, the schools came together to debate the bills in a practice committee hearing at the capitol.
* WCIA | Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School receives another threat: The Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School has reported they have received a “vague” threat from an anonymous individual Friday morning — the third threat the school has received within a week. After consulting with law enforcement, the school is remaining open Friday, though there will be “increased security measures” at the school.
* Chicago Reader | Dexter Reed, anti-LGBTQ+ attacks, Marquette Greenway construction: We don’t know how many times Reed shot, or how many times police shot him (the autopsy was still pending). We don’t know how police could’ve determined Reed wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, since the windows on his car are tinted. And we don’t know why a tactical team was conducting traffic stops in the first place, or why they initially drew their weapons. Collectively, the unknowns raise “serious concerns about the validity of the traffic stop that led to the officers’ encounter,” according to Andrea Kersten, COPA’s chief administrator. Both COPA and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office are investigating.
* WTTW | For 25 Years, Guest House Has Provided Temporary Medical Lodging to Patients and Families in Need: Since Guest House was founded 25 years ago, the nonprofit has offered temporary housing to medical patients, their family members and military veterans. Located in the Illinois Medical District, the lodging offers a way for patients to access advanced care or specialized treatment often only found in major cities at a limited number of hospitals or academic medical centers, according to executive director Adam Helman. Patients are not turned away from Guest House for their inability to pay.
* Daily Herald | Schools’ tax attorney to Bears: Dismiss your appeal: Ares Dalianis of Chicago-based Franczek P.C. — who has represented Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 in the yearlong property tax dispute with the Bears — said Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus’ proposed settlement to the schools and Bears was “too late” since it came five days after the Cook County Board of Review set the value of the team’s 326-acre property at $124.7 million. That stuck the Bears with a $8.9 million tax bill. But they’re now contesting the decision before the state’s property tax appeal board, in hopes of having the property’s value reduced to $60 million. That would set the tax bill at $1.7 million.
* Tribune | Former CPS student files lawsuit alleging sexual assault, coerced abortions by high school administrator: Following an investigation into Crowder by the Office of the Inspector General, CPS removed him from his position in September 2021. Crowder was later charged with sexual assault in 2022 and placed on a do-not-hire list by CPS while the OIG investigation is ongoing. Crowder is out on bond and due back in court April 17, according to public records.
* BND | Are dogs allowed in restaurants, grocery stores in Illinois? Here’s what state law says: While service animals have public access rights to enter grocery stores, restaurants and other establishments, companion or pet dogs may only enter dog-friendly buildings.
* NBC Chicago | Why are Illinois flags flying at half-staff today?: According to a notice posted to the state’s website, the flags have been ordered to be flown at half-staff in honor and remembrance of Illinois Department of Corrections Sergeant Andrew “Drew” Faught. Faught, who worked at the Pontiac Correctional Center, passed away April 8 while serving as a member of what the state referred to as the “TRT Team.”
* Courthouse News Service | Alabama harvested the organs of inmates without consent, families say: Families of Alabama inmates targeted the state’s practice of harvesting organs from the bodies of dead inmates, often in direct opposition to their wishes, in a trio of lawsuits filed Thursday. The practice first came to light in December 2023, after the family of 43-year-old Brandon Dotson filed a federal lawsuit claiming his body was returned from a state autopsy in a decomposed condition with his scalp peeled back and his heart missing. The lawsuits in Montgomery County Circuit Court are the first state actions to follow up follow up Dotson’s case.
* 404 Media | How a Money Laundering Crew Allegedly Moved Millions Through FanDuel: The plan was to create accounts with different casinos and sportsbooks, and in particular FanDuel, a very popular betting platform that has led the charge in the legitimization and surging popularity of sports betting in the U.S. Fresh accounts had limits on how much money they could deposit, but Bogomolny sent the clients screenshots of what established accounts were eventually capable of. They showed the accounts’ total winnings: $883,072.28 in one. $2,786,797.39 in another. The idea was that dirty money went in, legitimately gambled winnings came out.
* The Athletic | Ippei Mizuhara’s affidavit takeaways: The most startling claims against Ohtani’s interpreter: Months later, they were still looking to collect. On Nov. 17, 2023, the bookmaker texted Mizuhara looking to receive payment. Knowing Mizuhara’s public connection to Ohtani — the former interpreter garnered a semi-celebrity status due to their friendship — the bookmaker alluded to seeing Ohtani to gain access to Mizuhara. The text read: “Hey Ippie (sic), it’s 2 o’clock on Friday. I don’t know why you’re not returning my calls. I’m here in Newport Beach and I see [Ohtani] walking his dog. I’m just gonna go up and talk to him and ask how I can get in touch with you since you’re not responding? Please call me back immediately.”
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* Thanks, Dick…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on today’s announcement that the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency are releasing the first installment of congressionally-approved federal funds as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) “minibus” to help cities and states address the migrant crisis, of which $19.3 million will go to Illinois and be split equally between the state and the City of Chicago:
“This announcement will help equip the City of Chicago and our state in receiving asylum seekers in a safe and orderly fashion. It’s important to remember the gravity of this situation. Asylum seekers have been subjected to cruel—and even unknowing—relocation at the whim of Governor Greg Abbott and Republicans’ inhumane agenda. We need to uphold our country’s commitment as a welcoming nation for migrants, and that requires federal assistance. While I welcome this funding, it’s not enough to properly provide our city with the resources we need—and I’ll keep pushing for more funding to help our city and state,” said Durbin.
As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin has worked to deploy federal resources to assist cities and states—including the City of Chicago and state of Illinois—in receiving asylum seekers. The minibus that was signed into law included $650 million for the Shelter and Services Program, which Durbin advocated for.
Since the start of Governor Abbott’s cruel, inhumane, and partisan stunt dubbed, “Operation Lone Star,” more than 38,898 asylum seekers have been transported to Chicago from the U.S.-Mexico border. Durbin has pressed President Biden to make additional resources available, including funding and additional work permits. Durbin also introduced the Border Management, Security, and Assistance Act of 2023 with Senator Peters and 10 other Senate colleagues, which among other provisions, would provide $1.9 billion dollars in additional funding to the Shelter and Services program in support of local communities.
Last September, Durbin met with recent migrant arrivals in Chicago. In May, Durbin met with the Northside Refugee & Asylum Seeker Coalition to discuss ways to provide the Coalition with the necessary resources to assist the large number of refugees and asylum seekers in the Chicago area. Durbin also previously visited the Salvation Army Freedom Center in the Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago to meet with migrant families who were forced to come to Chicago from Texas by Governor Abbott.
I suppose every little bit helps, but, c’mon.
* Meanwhile, from Crain’s…
Mayor Brandon Johnson released additional details today on the $70 million funding request he’s asking the City Council to approve next week to care for the thousands of migrants living in city shelters. […]
The $70 million will come from the city’s reserve balance. The city must set aside a small percentage of cash to have on hand in case of a catastrophic event. The city also sets aside a reserve to fund up to 30 and 60 days of government services and an additional rainy day fund that has been boosted in recent budgets.
The $70 million will not affect those reserves, city officials told members of the City Council in briefings this week. Instead, it is taken from unallocated reserves.
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Question of the day
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Seth Lewis…
With students from the Prairie School of DuPage watching remotely from their classroom in Wheaton, State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) gained unanimous Senate approval on Thursday of a state symbol bill they worked on together.
Through Lewis’ Senate Bill 3514, the Calvatia Gigantea, or “Giant Puffball” is officially designated as the state mushroom.
“Since November, all 25 Upper Elementary scholars collected qualitative and quantitative data, surveyed over 100 Illinois stakeholders, and even held a school wide election,” said Prairie School of DuPage Teacher Erin Hemmer. “With the guidance of their two teachers, the change-makers have been working through the process with rigor, integrity, and passion.”
As part of their educational experience, students from the school traveled to Springfield when the bill was heard before the Senate State Government Committee last month. Hemmer and a student testified before the committee. As the bill was presented, committee members learned that 174 witness slips in favor of the bill had been properly filed by students, parents, and others in support of the new state symbol.
The original idea for a mushroom as a state symbol came from a class discussion on the different state symbols in Illinois.
“I met with these bright students earlier this year, and they expressed an interest in having a new state symbol of a mushroom,” said Lewis. “I was impressed with the amount of work they had already done and filed SB 3514 on their behalf in mid-February. The students continued to be involved as the bill was heard in committee, and it was my pleasure to bring it across the finish line in the Senate on Thursday.”
SB 3514 now moves to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Michele Mussman is carrying the bill.
* Here’s some pics…
* The Question: Giant Puffball or morels? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
[Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Chicago Reader…
ShotSpotter and its lobbyists worked with members of the City Council to advance a measure that would bypass Mayor Brandon Johnson and give alders final say on the use of the controversial gunshot detection system in their wards, documents obtained through public records requests show.
A lobbyist for the company provided alders with multiple drafts of both an original and a substitute version of the order, according to emails reviewed by the Reader. The measure was first considered at an April 1 meeting of the Committee on Police and Fire, where members sent it on a voice vote to the full City Council for approval. The proposal is expected to be taken up again when the council meets next on April 17.
The city declined to release the text of the drafts shared in the emails, citing an exemption in the state’s public record statute that allows agencies to withhold preliminary versions of documents. But the emails reveal ShotSpotter’s previously unreported role in helping craft the legislation. They also shed light on the influence wielded by corporations and special interests seeking to shape public policy to their benefit. […]
Alder David Moore, the measure’s sponsor, told the Reader in a phone interview, “Everybody knows my position on ShotSpotter.” He said ShotSpotter’s lobbyist reached out to him about the order after he spoke out in support of the technology. “We started working together on it because I needed somebody who had working knowledge of it, who were the subject matter experts on it,” he said.
In the lead-up to his election, Johnson vowed to end the city’s use of ShotSpotter, citing what he called “clear evidence it is unreliable and overly susceptible to human error.” On February 13, the mayor made good on that promise. He announced Chicago would not renew its contract and would end its use on September 22. He later clarified that the city would extend the contract a final time through the fall, to be followed by a “two-month transition period” that would allow police to phase out use of the technology.
* WAND…
A proposal that passed out of the Illinois Senate Thursday night could cap the monthly cost of inhalers for people with health insurance.
Illinoisans struggling with asthma and other lung diseases could pay just $25 for one prescription inhaler per month.
Senate Bill 3203 would also prohibit health insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage for prescription inhalers starting January 1, 2026.
* Tribune…
Illinois lawmakers joined the licensed cannabis industry Thursday in calling for a ban on intoxicating hemp products such as Delta-8-THC, a move retailers of such substances said would put them out of business.
The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, which represents large licensed marijuana companies, called for allowing regulated sales of non-intoxicating hemp products such as CBD, but prohibiting sales of intoxicants until a committee can recommend how to proceed.
Tiffany Ingram, executive director of the association, called synthetically derived cannabinoids, including Delta-8 and THC-O, “Frankenstein weed.” […]
Rep. La Shawn Ford has introduced an alternative bill that would allow sales of intoxicating hemp products, but require them to be tested, labeled, regulated and taxed. Just as with cannabis, he said, prohibition only creates a underground market.
* Patch…
A new measure sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham (18th District) that would protect vehicle owners from rogue towing companies has passed the Illinois State Senate.
SB 2654 protects vehicle owners by updating towing regulations regarding devices and other property that can be retrieved without paying a fee to the towing company, and notification to vehicle owners.
“The more I have learned about the towing industry in Illinois, the more I see that we need to make changes,” Cunningham said in a news release, who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This measure will stop towing companies from holding medical devices, like hearing aids, hostage if a vehicle is stolen and later towed.” […]
Senate Bill 2654 passed the Senate on Thursday and awaits further consideration in the House.
* Capitol News Illinois…
For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers.
Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations..
That would change under a bill now pending in the Illinois House. House Bill 4591 , an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, would, for the first time in Illinois, require lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by each of their clients. […]
[Amy Williams, an attorney in the secretary of state’s office] noted that all the provisions of the bill already exist, to one extent or another, in many other states. That includes compensation disclosure, which she said is required in 18 other states.
But that was the provision that generated the most resistance from those who work as lobbyists in the Statehouse.
* WGEM…
The Illinois state Senate passed a bill Thursday changing how liability is accrued for companies that violate the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Under the current law, companies need to get written consent from customers and employees to use biometric information like fingerprints, face scanners and retina scanners. That part of the law would not change, though the bill would allow companies to obtain an electronic signature for consent. What would change is what happens when a company violates the law.
Currently, companies can be held liable in civil court for $1,000 in damages for each violation. It means every time an employee uses their fingerprint to punch the clock or enter a restricted area, the company could be held liable if they did not get consent. If the proposal becomes law, damages would change to $1,000 per person. […]
The bill’s opponents argue it doesn’t go far enough because it does not have retroactive protections for previous violators.
* Sen. Bill Cunningham…
State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure that updates the liability guidelines in the Biometric Information Privacy Act.
“This reform to BIPA will protect small businesses from undue financial burden while still providing strong protections for consumers and workers,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “As technology continues to advance, it’s importance that our laws keep up with the times.”
Cunningham’s measure would limit the number of claims accrued should an employee bring a lawsuit against a company for a violation of BIPA. If a certain biometric identifier is collected by the same employer in the same manner, only one violation would accrue. This is a change from the current interpretation of BIPA, where claims are accrued on a per-collection basis, which resulted in hundreds of claims on a repeated violation.
SB 2979 also modernizes the manner in which written consent can be granted to include the use of electronic signatures. The original BIPA legislation took effect in 2008 when electronic signatures were not widely used. Cunningham’s legislation clarifies that because using electronic signatures is a common practice to obtain consent, they can be used to comply with BIPA consent requirements. […]
Senate Bill 2979 passed the Senate on Thursday and heads to the House for further consideration.
* STL Today…
Over the past year, several colleges and their students have collaborated with Illinois lawmakers to create legislation that would give college students mental wellness days every academic term.
While the idea stemmed from a former student body president at Illinois State University in Normal, current student body president Eduardo Monk picked it up and took the initiative when he stepped into the role last May. Monk said the project is an expansion of an Illinois law passed a few years ago that allows K-12 students five mental health days a year. […]
The bill would require all public colleges and universities in Illinois to implement a student mental wellness day policy that would allow students at least five mental health days per academic year. Schools would have to allow students to use at least two mental wellness days per semester, give them at least two scheduled wellness days every semester, or give them at least one scheduled wellness day and at least one wellness day to use per semester. […]
If the bill passes, colleges and universities would have to implement a policy by the 2026-27 academic year.
* Cook County Sheriff’s Office…
The Illinois Senate passed legislation [yesterday] proposed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart that eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for first responders seeking mental health treatment.
“We ask first responders to be constantly exposed to traumatic and dangerous situations to protect us,” Sheriff Dart said. “This legislation is a solid step toward helping them. It will remove the financial barriers between them and the tools they need to manage the burden society has placed upon them.”
The need for mental health care for first responders is critical. Due to their exposure to violent and traumatic events, first responders are at an increased risk of developing mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, and substance use disorder. The Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology reports suicide rates are 69 percent higher among police officers than the general population, while a Harvard Study has shown that first responders are at a higher
risk of developing PTSD. Studies by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 30 percent of first responders develop behavioral health conditions and 75 percent of police officers have experienced a traumatic event.
Sponsored by State Sen. Michael Hastings, SB3538, ensures first responders – including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel – are exempt from any cost sharing requirements related to mental health counseling, including insurance deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance. Unfortunately, finances are often an incredible burden for individuals seeking mental health care. The average price of psychotherapy is up to $200 per session, and insurance companies can pass along as much as 40 percent of the total amount to the insured. In a
survey conducted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 42 percent of respondents identified cost as significant barrier to obtaining mental health services.
“Our first responders have endured many hardships, one hardship they should not face is a barrier to mental health treatment,” said state Sen. Michael Hastings, the legislation’s Senate sponsor. “This is a landmark piece of legislation that will not only impact first responders but set an example for the rest of the country as to how to help them.”
The legislation’s support includes NAMI Chicago, National Association of Social Workers –Illinois Chapter, Mental Health America of Illinois, Illinois Psychiatric Society, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, Police Benevolent and Protective Association, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and AFSCME Council 31, among others.
The legislation, which was approved without dissent 55-0 Thursday, now moves to the state House, where it will be sponsored by Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar. Sheriff Dart urged lawmakers to quickly approve the measure and send it to Gov. JB Pritzker to sign into law.
“Every day, first responders answer our calls to help during the worst events of our lives – car crashes, violent attacks, health crises, the death of our loved ones – and this bill is an investment in not only their well-being, but in the health and safety of all our communities,” Dart said. “I encourage members of the Illinois House to pass this common-sense legislation in order to ensure the health of those who keep us safe.”
* Sen. Dan McConchie…
State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) passed legislation that removes building permit fees for disabled Veterans when they need to modify their home to accommodate their disability.
“Navigating the complexities of home renovations is tough enough for disabled Veterans,” said Sen. McConchie. “This legislation ensures they don’t face additional financial strain with city permit fees.”
As an example, if someone comes back from military service disabled and needs to modify their home to accommodate their disability, they must currently pay a permit fee to their unit of local government on top of the cost they are already paying to make the required renovations.
Senate Bill 2751 would make sure that any time a disabled Veteran needs to make disability modifications to their home, the permit fees to the city will be waived.
“Our Veterans have done so much for us, and this is just one small thing we are able to do for them.” Said Sen. McConchie
This legislation has passed the Senate without opposition and will now be move to the House.
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* SB2639 synopsis…
Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Provides that the infertility insurance provision added by Public Act 103-8 (effective January 1, 2024) applies only to coverage provided on or after July 1, 2024 and before July 1, 2026. Repeals the provision regarding infertility coverage on July 1, 2026.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no group policy of accident and health insurance providing coverage for more than 25 employees that provides pregnancy related benefits may be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State after January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2025 unless the policy contains coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Provides that no group policy of accident and health insurance that provides pregnancy related benefits may be issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2026 unless the policy contains coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility; specifies what shall be covered.
Provides that coverage shall be required only if the procedures: (1) are considered medically appropriate based on clinical guidelines or standards developed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology; and (2) are performed at medical facilities or clinics that conform to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines for in vitro fertilization or the American Society for Reproductive Medicine minimum standards for practices offering assisted reproductive technologies. Provides that if those requirements are met, then the procedure shall be covered without any other restrictions or requirements.
Makes changes in the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to provide that infertility insurance must be included in health insurance coverage for employees. Effective December 31, 2025.
* The bill passed without a single “No” vote. Sen. Sims has not been around this morning, but some other folks who are in town either missed or skipped the vote…
* Hastings press release…
Illinois is one step closer to having a law on the books to help guarantee insurance coverage for medically prescribed infertility treatments, thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings.
“My daughter was born via in vitro fertilization, so this initiative is near and dear to my heart,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “Unfortunately I know firsthand the heartbreak and stress that families and individuals face due to infertility complications. It is problematic that the health care system is set up in a way that insurance companies can trump the treatment plan recommended by your physician.”
Hastings spearheaded Senate Bill 2639 in response to a constituent whose physician had recommended that they seek in vitro fertilization treatment. However, when the constituent tried to access IVF care, they were told by their insurance provider that they had to complete other procedures before it would be covered by their insurance company, even with the recommendation of their licensed physician.
This measure would ensure that insurance companies provide coverage for infertility treatments that are recommended by a physician without requiring them to complete treatments that were deemed ineffective by their doctor.
Senate Bill 2639 would also allow a licensed physician to immediately approve any of these procedures based on the covered patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, or diagnostic testing.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 10% of couples receive medical help to become pregnant.
“We all know at least one person struggling to start or expand their family,” said Hastings. “These personal decisions should be made between a medical professional and patient – not by their insurance company. This legislation removes this barrier and helps alleviate some of the pain and anguish that many families experiencing infertility problems face.”
Senate Bill 2639 passed the Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to the House for further consideration.
* Meanwhile, in Alabama…
Providers in Alabama are resuming some in vitro fertilization services Thursday, the day after the state’s Republican governor signed a bill into law aimed at protecting IVF patients and providers from the legal liability imposed on them by a controversial state Supreme Court ruling.
The new law does not address the issue of personhood at the heart of last month’s unprecedented ruling, which prompted some providers to halt some IVF services, and experts say it’s going to take more work to fully protect fertility services in the state.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month that frozen embryos are human beings and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. Three of the state’s limited pool of IVF providers immediately paused services, sending some families out of state to access treatment and prompting a widespread and urgent demand for lawmakers to provide a fast fix. […]
Still, the law “does not nullify the Supreme Court’s analysis that says the law ought to treat embryos just like people,” Katherine Kraschel, an assistant professor at Northeastern University School of Law, told CNN on Tuesday.
Almost three weeks after the bill was passed and signed into law, this happened…
Democratic candidate Marilyn Lands on Tuesday won a special election for a state House seat in Alabama after she made in vitro fertilization and abortion rights central to her campaign.
Lands, a licensed professional counselor, defeated Madison City Council member Teddy Powell, a Republican who once worked as a Defense Department budget analyst. A Republican had held the Huntsville-area seat in the state’s 10th District. […]
Lands had 63% of the vote to Powell’s 37% with all precincts reporting.
* Politico on Personal PAC’s target list…
In Illinois, Personal PAC is targeting at least four state legislative races, where it’s endorsing Democrats:
52nd House District: Maria Peterson, a Democrat, v. incumbent state Rep. Martin McLaughlin.
76th House District: Amy “Murri” Briel, a Democrat, v. Liz Bishop, a Republican.
104th House District: Jarrett Clem, a Democrat, v. incumbent state Rep. Brandun Schweizer, a Republican.
114th House District: LaToya Greenwood, a Democrat, v. incumbent state Rep. Kevin Schmidt, a Republican.
Not to mention all the incumbents Personal PAC will try to protect if they find themselves in close races.
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Open thread
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers call for ban on intoxicating hemp products, but retailers call for regulations. Tribune…
- The bill, which has the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois backing, calls for regulated sales of non-intoxicating hemp products like CBD, but prohibiting sales of intoxicants until a committee can recommend how to proceed.
- Unlike hemp, licensed cannabis companies in Illinois must test and label their products for potency, pesticides and other contaminants, have limits on total THC, and prohibit sales to those 21 and older.
-Rep. La Shawn Ford has introduced an alternative bill that would allow sales of intoxicating hemp products, but require them to be tested, labeled, regulated and taxed.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Capitol News Illinois | Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts: “Right now, we’re only seeing part of the picture. We’re seeing what the lobbyist is spending to change or implement a policy,” Amy Williams, an attorney in the secretary of state’s office, told the House Ethics and Elections Committee Wednesday. “We’re lacking what the client is spending to change or implement a policy, and the client is the driving force behind those policy implications.”
* Tribune | Unionized health care workers say staffing shortages compromise safety: “This is something that impacts the workers but then think about your loved ones when they are the patients, that they’re not getting the care that they need because there is no staff,” Kim Smith, a patient care technician for Northwestern Medicine, said through a loudspeaker that blared throughout the Capitol rotunda. “When I walk into a hospital and I’m given 36 patients and I’m the only tech on that floor, there’s no way I can deliver good care.”
* Here’s the rest…
* ABC Chicago | Death of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough causes confusion, delays for vital records: The clerk’s office said it is required to change documents that still have Yarbrough listed as the official signatory. […] The office is currently unable to provide paper copies of those records, but they can still be registered online. [Susan Dyer-Hultgren, president of the Cook County Funeral Directors’ Association] said she started getting calls Wednesday from funeral directors who couldn’t finalize death certificates and obtain permits for burials and cremations through the state’s vital records portal.
* The Century Foundation | The Best and Worst States for Family Care Policies: To date, 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed paid family and medical leave, and 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed paid sick days policies. These states are some of the highest scoring. […] Oregon received the highest grade on the report card, a “B+,” while Massachusetts, California, Colorado and Minnesota were the only states to earn a “B.” Oregon’s strong performance on childcare and paid family and medical leave propelled it to the top of the care report card.
* Press Release | Retired Justice Hon. Rita B. Garman to be presented with state’s highest honor April 13 in Chicago: Governor JB Pritzker announced the 2024 recipients of the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest civilian honor for professional achievement and public service. Vermilion County’s retired Justice Hon. Rita B. Garman is among this year’s recipients.
* Winnebago County Board Member Paul Arena | Migrants welcome in Winnebago County, bills for housing, health care are not: State Representative Maurice West wrote an editorial in the Register Star accusing the Winnebago County Board of telling immigrants they are unwelcome; by symbolically hanging a “Keep Out” sign on the county. That is not true. The County Board members who voted in favor of the resolution limiting the use of tax dollars to support migrants are not anti-immigrant. Many of us have family members who are immigrants.
* Crain’s | As measles worries rise, schools are asked to draw up lists of unvaxxed students: The susceptibility lists for students who are not up to date on measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination, or do not have other evidence of immunity to measles, would include students “who are not completely vaccinated due to religious exemption, medical exemption, McKinney-Vento exception, on an approved schedule, or noncompliance with measles vaccination,” according to an IDPH memo posted April 8.
* Sun-Times | ‘Security footprint’ plan for Democratic Convention kicked to City Council for Wednesday vote: Protesters, residents and other DNC observers would be prohibited from bringing laptops, large bags, scooters and other items into certain areas closest to convention attendees under the ordinance, which the City Council’s Public Safety Committee advanced for a vote by the full Council.
* Crain’s | DNC security maps to be released in early July, CPD tells City Council: Over the last several weeks, officials from the Chicago Police Department and Secret Service have knocked on doors of local businesses and residents to let them know about the security maps law enforcement agencies are developing for the convention. The security footprint for the DNC won’t come out until early July, Duane DeVries, the police department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism chief, told the City Council’s Public Safety Committee today.
* Tribune | Feds look to call ex-aldermen to testify at Madigan trial as experts on machine politics, City Hall: In a motion Thursday, prosecutors asked that retired University of Illinois at Chicago professor Dick Simpson be allowed to testify as an expert witness on traditional Democratic machine politics, particularly the patronage system that ward bosses like Madigan were able to use to build and maintain power. They also want to call former Ald. Michele Smith, a former federal prosecutor who would describe for the jury the intricacies of City Hall, including obscurities such as aldermanic prerogative, zoning and the role of ward committeemen, according to the filing.
* Sun-Times | Chicago climate lawsuit against Big Oil moved to federal court — for now: A legal expert, however, believes the case will land back in Cook County Circuit Court where it was initially filed. The reason: Chicago’s lawsuit against five of the world’s largest oil and gas companies follows a pattern of similar complaints filed by other U.S. cities. In each of those cases, the companies argue that the case must be heard in federal rather than state courts but, on appeal, they have all been moved back to the local venues.
* Tribune | Bally’s Chicago revenue up 12.7% in March as casino company weighs buyout offer: Revenue at the Medinah Temple casino grew 12.7% in March to more than $11.1 million in adjusted gross receipts, according to data released Thursday by the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s Chicago ranked fourth in revenue among the state’s 15 casinos. Admissions to Bally’s Chicago increased 11.6% to nearly 118,000 visitors, ranking second behind Rivers Casino Des Plaines, the state’s busiest and top-billing casino.
* Sun-Times | The billionaire behind the scenes in Sox stadium plan: For two decades, an Iraqi billionaire who once was barred from entering the United States has been trying to develop 62 acres he owns along the Chicago River south of the Loop. Each time, Nadhmi Shakir Auchi has run into political and legal roadblocks. Some involved his partners, others centered on his past — which includes two criminal convictions, one in France, another in Iraq.
* Crain’s | The city rejects a new revenue source in Sox, Bears stadium talks: On April 8, the parties discussed adding revenue from the city’s amusement tax on ticket sales at the teams existing and potential new stadiums to the complicated mix of public financing they argue is needed to pay off the current debt that built the team’s current homes and build new ones, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
* SJ-R | Owner of new Springfield business wants to be hub for social gatherings: Owned and operated by Springfield native Kaia Griffin, AR Luxury Event Spaces is a dream for the CEO to provide her community a thriving place to be in the city. […] The business will be the latest Black-owned business in Springfield and a place Griffin, a Springfield Public Schools District 186 graduate, hopes can bring people together.
* Block Club | Chicago River Open Swim Not Yet Approved By City: At a meeting of the city’s Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation, Downtown Ald. Bill Conway (34th) asked city officials about the event after hearing from concerned neighbors and was told the event had been announced without being permitted. City officials are in talks with organizers and the other municipal agencies that need to sign off on such an event, a city official told Conway.
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Live coverage
Friday, Apr 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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