Mayor Brandon Johnson urged calm today after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released videos showing police officers killing a man during a traffic stop in Humboldt Park after the man allegedly shot an officer.
The videos show police officers approaching a white SUV driven by Dexter Reed, 26, purportedly because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. The officers gave Reed orders and while directing him to not roll up his windows during the stop, gunfire is heard on the officer body camera footage released today. The officers scramble for cover. One officer, standing next to Reed’s passenger side door, falls back and is seen bleeding.
COPA, the police oversight agency charged with investigating officer misconduct and all police shootings, said the available evidence appears to confirm that Reed fired first at officers before they returned fire. […]
Johnson stressed peace as footage begins to appear on social media and ahead of Reed’s family and attorney holding a press conference today to express their reaction to his death.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined food justice advocates and local stakeholders to announce a new grant program from the Illinois Grocery Initiative. The New Stores in Food Deserts Program will offer competitive grants to encourage the establishment of new grocery stores in USDA-defined food deserts. Paired with the Equipment Upgrades Program, the initiatives are a $20 million effort to address food deserts and prevent grocery store closures in Illinois.
“The truth is: too many people live in food deserts, and it’s contributing to an ongoing public health crisis. As we celebrate the launch of our second Illinois Grocery Initiative grant program today, we aim to support local entrepreneurs and communities as they open new grocery stores in food deserts.” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is a first-of-its-kind state government investment — and it will have a significant impact on under-served rural towns and urban neighborhoods dealing firsthand with the struggles of food access.”
Awards can range between $160K to $2.4M, with a 1:3 match requirement from businesses.
Requirements for grocery locations include:
- Must be located in a food desert,
- Must earn less than 30% of revenue from alcohol and tobacco sales,
- Must accept SNAP and WIC, and
Must contribute to diversity of fresh foods available in community.
Qualified entities include units of local government and independent grocers or cooperatives with fewer than 500 employees and no more than four grocery locations. New Stores in Food Deserts grants will fund construction and renovation costs for new stores, as well as many first-year operations costs, such as employee wages, utility costs, initial inventory of food, and more.
“It’s nice to know that the state of Illinois is in such GREAT shape that Maurice West only has to worry about school mascots!”
That line opened an email from a regular reader responding to Thursday’s column about House Bill 5617, a plan from state Rep. West, D-Rockford, to functionally prohibit schools from using Native American imagery. […]
My emailer, like all readers, understands West and his General Assembly colleagues can multitask. We all know politicians can talk, while what matters is their action. So what else is on West’s plate? The answers are a few keystrokes away.
Visit ilga.gov. Look under House and click Members. Scroll down to the name Maurice A. West, II. On the next column over, click Bills. This opens up a page showing 268 House and Senate bills and resolutions in the current session (the 103rd, which started in January 2023) including West as a sponsor. Each has a short description and notes the last action and date.
* Here’s the rest…
* NBC Chicago | Major changes coming to Illinois DMV location in effort to make center more ‘efficient’: According to a press release from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the Secretary of State facility in Plano, located at 236 Mitchell Drive in Kendall County will be getting a new, “one-stop-shop” DMV design. The new design is intended to “provide a more customer-focused, professional and efficient experience,” the release said.
* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor announces reelection bid; will face at least 3 challengers: With three candidates — former Mayor Sam Cunningham, Miguel Rivera and Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward — having announced their plans to run to be Waukegan’s next chief executive, incumbent Mayor Ann Taylor is making her reelection bid official. […] Proud of increasing the city’s revenue approximately $32 million without hiking property taxes the past three years, Taylor said she wants to continue what she considers a good stewardship of the city. Four years is not sufficient to achieve long-term goals, she said.
* AP | Librarians fear new penalties, even prison, as activists challenge books: When an illustrated edition of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was released in 2019, educators in Clayton, Missouri needed little debate before deciding to keep copies in high school libraries. The book is widely regarded as a classic work of dystopian literature about the oppression of women, and a graphic novel would help it reach teens who struggle with words alone. But after Missouri legislators passed a law in 2022 subjecting librarians to fines and possible imprisonment for allowing sexually explicit materials on bookshelves, the suburban St. Louis district reconsidered the new Atwood edition, and withdrew it.
* Tribune | Zombie malls and other retail centers getting extreme makeovers to keep up with the times: Builders have built or plan to add hundreds of apartments at malls in Vernon Hills, Skokie and Aurora. The idea is that residents will have an affordable home with quick access to shopping, restaurants, gyms and things to do, while municipalities will get increased property taxes. The target audience for these developments often is young single workers, new families, or older empty nesters who want convenience and flexibility.
* Crain’s | At City Hall, a progressive crusader steps into the chief of staff role: Cristina Pacione-Zayas, or CPZ, as you’ll hear around the fifth floor of City Hall, was appointed as Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new chief of staff at the beginning of this month. Before her promotion, she served as Johnson’s deputy chief of staff. In that role, her acronymic moniker became well known in part as she took the helm of the city’s migrant response — a task that raised her profile while also making her a lightning rod as the Johnson administration struggled to deal with the influx of asylum-seekers being bussed in from Texas.
* Crain’s | Workers at a Chicago Trader Joe’s seek union representation: Employees at the 3745 North Lincoln Ave. location filed a petition yesterday to hold an election with the National Labor Relations Board to be represented by Trader Joe’s United, an independent union of Trader Joe’s workers. If the push is successful, the Lincoln Avenue location would be the fifth unionized Trader Joe’s nationwide.
* Sports Media | Men’s Final Four viewership up slightly; both games trail Iowa-UConn women: Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament national semifinals averaged a combined 6.0 rating and 12.84 million viewers across TBS, TNT and truTV — down 2% in ratings but up 4% in viewership from last year on CBS (6.2, 12.34M). The games averaged a 21 share, tying 2001, 2015 and 2022 as the highest since 1998. … This year marks the first time in recent memory — if not ever — that the men’s Final Four was not the most-watched sporting event of the week in which it took place.
* Crain’s | Art Institute lands another large donation: The John D. and Alexandra C. Nichols Family Foundation is donating $25 million to the Art Institute of Chicago to support campus and visitor-center upgrades. Alexandra Nichols, an Art Institute trustee, and her late husband John Nichols, who ran Illinois Tool Works and previously served as chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, have donated nearly $50 million to the Art Institute over time, including funding the Nichols Bridgeway, which connects the Modern Wing of the museum over Monroe Street to Millennium Park.
* Block Club | Northwest Side Job Training Program Helps Students With Developmental Disabilities Succeed After High School: When Gerald Kelleher started interning at Eli’s Cheesecake Company, he was filled with nerves. Now, the 17-year-old is a pro at boxing cheesecakes and was able to land his first job. Kelleher was one of four Project Wright Access graduates honored Thursday during a ceremony at the Eli’s Cheesecake facility. Started in 2022, the Project Wright Access program teaches Chicago teens who have developmental disabilities about the workforce and helps them find jobs.
* SJ-R | 3 a.m. liquor sales coming to an end at Sangamon County bars this summer: Bars operating outside of Springfield in Sangamon County will soon no longer be able to sell alcohol after 1 a.m. In a split vote 21 to 5, the present 26 members of the Sangamon County Board voted to amend the county’s liquor code, eliminating the sale of alcohol after one in the morning for any business operating within the Sangamon County Liquor Ordinance.
For the first time in 221 years, periodical cicada brood XIII and brood XIX will emerge at the same time!
A periodical cicada emergence can be an exciting event to witness! Periodical cicadas emerge from roughly mid-May until late-June, so be ready for a wild start to summer. This is a great time to visit a local state or city park and watch the adult cicadas fly, listen to their calls and look for the nymphs’ shed skins. In neighborhoods with mature trees, some may even find cicadas in their back yards. You can even take part in a citizen science project by reporting cicada sighting locations on the Cicada Safari app.
Brood XIII emerges in the northern half of Illinois and will consist of three species of 17-year periodical cicadas, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini, and Magicicada septendecula. Brood XIX is called the Great Southern Brood and emerges in the southern half of Illinois. Brood XIX consists of four 13-year periodical cicada species, Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula. Cicadamania.com is a great website to visit to learn more about the individual species emerging. The two broods have an area of overlap in Macon, Sangamon, Livingston and Logan counties in central Illinois. Springfield could be a great location to spot members of both broods.
Matthew Kasson, an associate professor of Mycology and Forest Pathology at West Virginia University, says both of these broods can be infected by a fungal pathogen called Massospora cicadina.
Once the cicadas emerge from the ground, they molt into adults, and within a week to 10 days, the fungus causes the backside of their abdomens open up. A chalky, white plug erupts out, taking over their bodies and making their genitals fall off.
“The cicada continues to participate in normal activities, like it would if it was healthy,” Kasson told CBS News. “Like it tries to mate, it flies around, it walks on plants. Yet, a third of its body has been replaced by fungus. That’s really kind of bizarre.”
Kasson said the reason the cicadas might be able to ignore the fungus is that it produces an amphetamine, which could give them stamina.
“But there’s also something else unusual about it,” he said. “There’s this hyper-sexualized behavior. So, males for example, they’ll continue to try and mate with females — unsuccessfully, because again, their back end is a fungus. But they’ll also pretend to be females to get males to come to them. And that doubles the number of cicadas that an infected individual comes in contact with
Illinois state entomologist Chris Dietrich said there are two different broods of cicadas emerging this year, one that only comes out every 13 years, and the other coming out every 17 years.
He said these two broods of cicadas have not been out together since 1803.
“These two particular broods of cicadas only come out every 221 years. And it’s really unusual to have two broods that are kind of right next to each other in terms of their geographic distribution that emerge simultaneously,” said Dietrich.
[Bulls coach Billy Donovan] has two years left on his current deal, and even if the front office and Bulls ownership didn’t value Donovan, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf does not like paying dead money for fired coaches.
A source recently said that Reinsdorf — who is also the chairman of the White Sox — knew that manager Pedro Grifol had put in a fireable season by midsummer of 2023, but he wanted to wait at least a year so the dead money wasn’t as big a hit.
The White Sox finished the 2023 season with 61 wins and 101 losses. They are currently 1-9.
And yet Reinsdorf wants up to $2 billion from taxpayers to build a new ballpark.
Anyway, have at it.
…Adding… A commenter notes that while Reisndorf hates spending “dead money” on fired coaches, he “wants taxpayers to pay dead money for an unused stadium.” Spot on.
* Governor JB Pritzker was asked today about Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asking the city council to kick in $70 million for asylum seekers during an unrelated press conference…
Q: There appears to be a request from the mayor for maybe another $70 million to help with the migrant crisis. Can you just weigh in on the fact it seems like finally maybe the mayor seems to be coming around to kicking in money that you and Cook County have already committed to? Is it about time that they got serious about funding on their side of things?
Pritzker: Look, the city has been working very hard at addressing the crisis of the incoming buses that are being sent here from Texas. I want to commend the city and all the volunteers and all of the workers who have helped us to resettle people or provide temporary shelter and the investment that the city has already made.
We have been working together-the city, the county, the state-since August of 2022 to make sure that we’re providing everything that’s necessary. For people just to get a handle on, you know, they’re in a new place, often don’t speak the language don’t have a place to live, don’t have food that’s provided to them and providing them just basic health care.
And for those who complain about the expenditure that’s being made. Let’s be clear. First, this is just basic needs that people are getting. Nobody’s getting any fancy luxuries out of this, people are arriving and just need a helping hand.
I want to remind you and everybody here, if you didn’t know, that my family arrived with absolutely nothing to this city. Nothing. A social service agency gave them a place to live, they didn’t have one. They started out living in the subbasement of the Chicago train station at the time. My great-grandfather went to a public school, didn’t know how to speak English. By the end of his life, I never met him, but I’m told he spoke what people have described as the King’s English.
So you can imagine the kind of great education that he got in a public school. So all of those things. And again, just taking it all the way back to just arrival, right. He became a lawyer, my great-grandfather, during his lifetime coming from absolutely nothing and being persecuted in his home country.
So think of the people who are arriving here today. First of all, they’re human beings. They deserve to be treated with humanity with care, and to be treated as future contributors to the economy and the greatness of the city of Chicago in the state of Illinois. So we’re doing that and I hope that the governor of Texas will stop treating them as if they’re cattle being pushed on to buses and sent to Chicago and I hope that we will have a better comprehensive immigration program for the United States.
Unfortunately, as you know, former President Trump ruined any chance of any immediate work that might be done, and I think [Trump] doesn’t actually care about immigration, which is an additive to our economy in the United States. We should be pro-immigration in this country. We always have been I don’t know why there are some people who are moving backward.
But we need to work on that today. It’s been 40 years since there was any serious comprehensive immigration reform and boy do we need it again now.
So those are some thoughts that I have. I’m pleased that the city has been contributing and helping to deal with the challenge of people arriving more frequently than I think ever before. Or at least more recent ever before. And I think they’re being treated as best as they can be. Although there’s always work to do on this.
And again, I’d remind you it’s not as if the city has fallen down on providing support. And so this is just a continuation of what the city has already been doing.
* The Record | ‘Not something we would be able to manage’: More migrant buses are arriving in Wilmette and even more may be on the way: More than 50 migrant buses have arrived to the Wilmette Metra station, 722 Green Bay Road, since the new year. Approximately half of those have come in the past three weeks, Village Manager Mike Braiman told The Record. Village of Wilmette police and local volunteers support the migrants as they make their way to Chicago, and to this point, Braiman said the response has not strained Village resources, but any further increase may do just that.
* The Daily Northwestern | City Council indicates support for migrant shelter — but not downtown: City staff revealed a proposal last week to use the two-story building at 1020 Church St. as a shelter for up to 65 migrants. According to the plan, Evanston would apply for Cook County grant funding to cover the projected $2 million annual operating cost. Still, many details remain unclear about how the city would pay for the renovation and whether it would operate indefinitely.
* CBS | Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears at Republican gala in NYC, faces criticism over migrant crisis: Abbott […] wasted no time talking about the influx of migrants entering the country. “We were sending them only to Washington, D.C., and quite literally out of nowhere, Mayor Adams starts criticizing me for sending them to New York City,” Abbott said. “So after a while, I figured, gosh, if I’m gonna get the criticism, I’m gonna get the credit.”
* Daily Beast | Fox News Uses the Solar Eclipse to Fearmonger About Migrant ‘Invasion’: While mainstream news coverage focuses on the eclipse’s path of totality and the potentially troublesome weather forecast, the conservative cable giant’s “hard news” programming found a way to link the event to Fox’s nearly round-the-clock fear-mongering about immigrants. “Fox News alert! A rare celestial event collides with a policy failure on the ground,” America’s Newsroom co-anchor Dana Perino declared on Monday morning. “The southern border will be directly in the path of totality today when the moon covers the sun for nearly four minutes.”
Tuesday, Apr 9, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.
We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Edwin, who serve their communities with dedication and pride. Click here to learn more.
Final state revenues for March were up $413 million from the prior year, putting state coffers about $831 million ahead of this time last year. […]
Last month, COGFA increased revenue expectations for the current fiscal year by about $2 billion from what was projected when lawmakers passed the budget last May. It now anticipates $52.6 billion in revenue for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
“While there continues to be subtle signs of weakening in certain revenue areas that must be watched, March’s $413 million in additional growth helps solidify the Commission’s latest forecast,” COGFA wrote in its monthly report.
There’s one quarter left in the fiscal year, and April is a generally volatile month for state revenues as final income tax collections are received. COGFA noted it is not making an adjustment to income tax projections at this time – although April’s performance could move the needle in either direction.
Tuesday, Apr 9, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois ranks #9 in the U.S. for reported gas leaks, shows a study conducted in June 2022 on methane gas leaks. Frequent leaks are resulting in death, injury, and other damage to our health and environment. Pausing critical replacement of our aging natural gas lines is dangerous for everyone.
When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program in Chicago, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of aged gas infrastructure that is no longer allowed to be replaced.
Tell Gov. Pritzker and the ICC to restart the program, lives are at risk. Transitioning to electric without a plan will cost homeowners thousands of dollars. We need to fix our dangerous natural gas lines for our safety.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked by a reporter today if he is interested in running for governor again during an unrelated press conference…
You asked me this question right before I announced that I was running last time and I was trying not to give away what my answer would be.
This time I honestly don’t have an answer for you. We’re a year and a quarter into this term. And I, as you know, I love the job and we’re working very hard and we’ve had some real success, so I’m enjoying it. I’ll stay where I am for the time being.
* The Question: Do you think he’ll run again? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
DRIVER INVOLVED IN DEATH OF DEKALB COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPUTY RELEASED FROM JAIL WITH PRETRIAL RELEASE CONDITIONS.
Nathan P. Sweeney of DeKalb, IL who was arrested last week for Reckless Homicide and DUI in connection with the Line of Duty Death of DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Deputy Christina Musil was released from custody this afternoon after the Court set pretrial release conditions.
Obviously, we are very disappointed that Sweeney was released despite the Dekalb County States’ Attorney request to detain. This evaluation was made under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which went into effect 9/18/23, that was a part of the SAFE T Act passed in January 2021.
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice responds…
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice is disappointed but unsurprised to see the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association weaponize the death of DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Musil to make arguments for rolling back reforms to our state’s criminal court system.
In the wake of Deputy Musil’s death, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association falsely claimed that the Pretrial Fairness Act was responsible for the release of Nathan Sweeney, the truck driver accused of crashing into Deputy Musil’s vehicle and killing her. This is an opportunistic lie meant to confuse the public and further the Sheriffs’ Association’s goal of returning to the money bail system that failed to keep our communities safe and destabilized our state’s most marginalized communities through the extraction of millions of dollars each year.
It is also important to note that under the former money bond system, reckless homicide was a non-detainable offense. Had this happened prior to the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act, the State’s Attorney could not have filed a petition to detain and the judge would have only been able to set a money bond or other conditions of release. Aggravated DUI resulting in death was also unlikely to result in an actual denial of pretrial release under the old system; instead, money bonds were the standard outcome.
The Sheriffs’ Association, for reasons we do not understand, opposes a system of pretrial release and detention that is based on safety instead of financial status. Instead, they are using their colleague’s tragic death as a platform to spread misinformation and continue their misguided attempts to undermine successful reforms. We condemn this behavior, and our hearts break for the loved ones of Christina Musil.
* Speaking of cash bail, let’s move along to the the House GOP blog…
Six months after the full implementation of the cashless bail, and other provisions, of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, Illinois residents are finding themselves anything but safe.
Um, that third guy was released after posting cash bail. So, are they saying that the cash bail system was flawed and allowed alleged criminals to waltz out of jail if they had the money?
As for the rest of the examples, I’m pretty darned positive I could match up each of those instances of people not being detained with instances of bad people who cash-bailed out of incarceration.
Illinois House Democrats want to pass a plan to prohibit the use of unreliable statements made to law enforcement during criminal or juvenile court proceedings for homicides or Class X felonies. Sponsors hope the bill could change the state’s status as the leader for wrongful convictions.
Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) told the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee Thursday that Illinois spends millions of dollars annually for settlements after people are exonerated. However, he noted that wrongful convictions cost much more to the people put behind bars for 20-35 years on average before exoneration. […]
“Currently, there is a prohibition on the use of involuntary statements,” Slaughter said. “The burden of proving a statement is voluntary rests on the prosecution. Whether a statement is reliable is currently considered by the trier of fact and not by a judge considering allowable evidence in a proceeding.” […]
House Bill 5346 passed out of the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee on a 9-6 vote Thursday. State representatives could discuss the legislation again when they return to Springfield later this week.
* President of Village Haven Housing Foundation Randy McIntyre…
Village Haven is a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing quality shared housing to residents and help them find employment, healthcare, food assistance, educational opportunities, and transportation. People who are in recovery and reentering society throughout Illinois are working incredibly hard to get their lives back on track. […]
That’s why I’m so concerned to learn that lawmakers in Springfield are considering a new bill that will add a $10.49 fee to most prescriptions filled at the pharmacy counter.
This may not sound like a lot to our legislators in Springfield who can personally afford the increase, but for people who are working hard to make ends meet, this could mean choosing between medication or other essentials like putting gas in their car to get to work. […]
This bill will also limit the ability of pharmacies to mail less-expensive prescriptions directly to people’s doors. Many who are in recovery and reentering, not to mention countless older Illinoisians and those with mobility challenges, count on this service to get their medication in a way that is quick and convenient so they can stay healthy and well.
Illinois pharmacists have been able to administer long-acting injectable drugs to help people fighting addiction for the past four years. A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives aims to expand their scope of practice.
Current Illinois law prohibits them from giving the first dose. They can administer subsequent doses of long-acting injectables for substance-abuse problems.
The state House Health Care Licenses Committee passed a bill unanimously on April 3 allowing pharmacists to inject the first dose if it’s prescribed by a doctor, physician’s assistant or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
“By allowing pharmacists to the first injection of long-acting injectable medications for substance-use disorder treatment, access to these medications can be now expanded,” said state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, the bill’s sponsor.
Dental school graduates may soon be able to practice in Illinois before officially getting licensed.
The state House Health Care Licenses Committee unanimously passed a bill on April 3 allowing someone enrolled in a dental residency or specialty training program to practice for up to three months while waiting for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to approve their license.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, said the legislation will ensure new dentists don’t fall behind waiting for their license. […]
The bill has the support of the Illinois State Dental Society.
I am privileged to serve the village of Niles in two capacities. The first is at my family restaurant, which has served local customers for nearly five decades. The second is as mayor, serving my constituents since 2021. I’ve always said that running a great municipality is like running a great business, and being able to wear both hats often allows me to provide a different perspective to my fellow civic leaders.
Take, for example, a proposed bill in Springfield that would eliminate the tip credit and fundamentally change the way Illinois restaurant workers are paid. At its core, this proposal is a business-killer that would pose significant risks to the very employees it aims to help.
I know of no one in the restaurant industry who earns less than the minimum wage right now. My tipped employees see average incomes as high as $25 to $30 an hour between base wage and tips. National data shows that wait staff at full-service restaurants earn a median of $27 an hour, with the highest-paid tipped employees making $41.50 and in some places more. […]
If legislators force restaurateurs to increase their payroll for tipped employees to the full minimum wage, it will upend this system with an unaffordable cost. The ripple effects in my restaurant alone would reach an estimated $300,000 a year at just at one of my restaurants.
The mascot at Nokomis High School has been the Redskins since a 1920 vote among the town’s voters. The town, home to 2,100 residents, itself is named after a Native American mythological figure featured in a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem.
Legislation being considered in Springfield would do away with Nokomis’ mascot along with every public K-12 school in the state using a Native American name, logo or mascot. Superintendent Scott Doerr told The State Journal-Register that the bill is legislative overreach on what should be a local decision. […]
“Our signage, our gym floors … everything that indicates some kind of logo or mascot is going to have to be changed,” Doerr said in an interview, now in his 15th year as superintendent. “So, you’re looking at a large amount of money that is supposed to go to educate kids are now going to fund another unfunded mandate passed by the state of Illinois.” […]
Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, is the bill’s lead sponsor and plans to file an amendment to his legislation. The amendment, he said, will clarify schools with Native town names like Nokomis or Waukegan would not have to change and create a partnership between the Illinois State Board of Education and the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative to adopt guidelines for schools where the legislation would apply.
Thursday in Springfield, the House Revenue and Finance Committee advanced several measures that would allow for increases in property tax levies. House Bill 1075 would allow villages and townships to increase theirs for museums. Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole supported the museum levy.
“Nobody here wants to support property tax increases but what we’ve already heard is it’s a de minimis amount, it’s for a community function, museum affairs and activities,” Cole said during the committee.
Another from state Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, House Bill 4179 would allow for a voter referendum to increase taxes for private ambulance costs.
“So the voters will be there to vote for if they want an ambulance service, or if they want to drive whoever of their family members to the hospitals themselves,” Meier told the committee.
* AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney and IMA President Mark Denzler…
While Illinois is leading the way in the effort to mitigate climate change with a goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, we will fall short without embracing all available technology, including carbon capture and storage.
Also known as CCS, this process involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions at their source, preventing them from being released into the atmosphere and then storing them deep underground. It’s an established and effective process which is highly regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CCS technology has been identified by the Clean Air Task Force as having safely operated in the U.S. for more than 50 years. Numerous international studies addressing the energy transition suggest that CCS is a required key tool for rapid decarbonization, along with energy efficiency and electrification.
In addition to the proven environmental benefits, deploying CCS more widely in Illinois also offers equally clear economic benefits. CCS development and expansion has an employment demand of 14,400 jobs, generating over $3 billion in additional revenue for the state’s economy over 10 years, according to a study conducted by the University of Illinois. This includes the creation of good union jobs in the construction industry as well as the operation of new facilities. […]
Our legislation builds upon existing federal regulations, requires consultation with impacted communities to address local concerns and establishes strong landowner protections.
* ABC Chicago | Process begins to find replacement for Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough after her death: Bunting hangs over the Cook County buildings in the Loop in memory of Yarbrough. As a loyal foot soldier to the local and state Democratic Party, Yarbrough’s rise in politics was a quick one as she became a fixture in democratic politics for decades. “She worked very closely with Mike Madigan, and she was part of his leadership team. And that was when she was still in the legislature and then she moved on to the Cook County recorder of deeds office, and then the clerk,” said ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington.
* Tribune | Rivian hosts R2 open house in Normal, its new production home: The low-key but festive event showcased the midsize R2 SUV, which will be built in Normal after Rivian delayed plans for a second plant in Georgia. The smaller and sportier R3 crossover, whose production plans have yet to be announced, was also on display. Rivian revealed both new models last month, while announcing that the R2, at least initially, will be made in Illinois. The company received more than 68,000 preorders for the $45,000 R2 within 24 hours of its online debut.
* Daily Southtown | Dolton trustees hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as special investigator: Under the terms of her hiring agreement, Lightfoot will provide regular updates to trustees, and when her billing totals $30,000 will give a full summary of her investigation to trustees. A law firm representing the village, the Del Galdo Law Group, sent a letter Monday to attorney Burt Odelson, whose firm serves as legal counsel to the Village Board, warning that hiring Lightfoot is beyond the trustees’ authority.
* Norma Fuentes has been named Partner at Fuentes Consulting…
Fuentes Consulting Shatters Glass Ceiling: First Latina Sister-Run Lobbying Firm in Springfield Welcomes Norma Fuentes as Partner
Norma Fuentes has been named Partner at Fuentes Consulting. Norma’s addition marks a historic moment for the firm, becoming the first Latina sister-run and operated lobbying firm in Springfield. Norma brings a wealth of experience. Since 2020, she has honed her skills as a lobbyist at Stricklin & Associates, advocating for clients and navigating the complexities of the legislative process. Norma is poised to become one of the few Latina lawyers in the lobbying space as she stands on the cusp of graduating from law school next month in May.
Governor Pritzker will be in Chicago to launch the second stage of the Illinois Grocery Initiative at 10:30. At 3:05 the governor will celebrate the tastytrade office expansion. Click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest…
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker taps northwest suburban lawmaker to run state insurance department: State Sen. Ann Gillespie of Arlington Heights will step down from her legislative post to lead the agency as acting director. Her appointment requires confirmation by the state senate. She replaces Dana Popish Severinghaus, who assumed the department’s top post in 2021 and will be leaving the position next week.
* Daily Herald | Giving people a place to go for help: DuPage County breaks ground on new crisis center: County leaders on Monday will celebrate the start of a $25.8 million project to build the DuPage Crisis Recovery Center. The new 24/7 center will be on the grounds of the DuPage County Health Department and will act as a behavioral health triage center where patients experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis can be assessed and provided a plan of action within 24 hours.
* News-Gazette | Urbana voters paying price for 1998 decision: Urbana voters foolishly decided in 1998 to elect school board members from municipal subdistricts rather than at-large. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that idea — at least in theory. But in practice, it’s been another story. The problem? There has been a disappointing lack of candidates in most of Urbana’s seven subdistricts to provide voters a real choice between competing candidates.
* WBEZ | Principals get first look at impact of Chicago’s new school funding formula: These are the first school budgets under a new funding formula that shifts to focusing on the needs of schools, rather than enrollment. Under this new “equity-based” formula, principals are mostly being given positions, rather than pots of money, as was done under the old formula.
* Tribune | In Chicago, President Joe Biden raises millions, assails Donald Trump over abortion rights: Biden’s remarks came hours after Trump made his highly anticipated statement on abortion, stopping short of calling for nationwide federal limits on the procedure but saying he supported the decision of the conservative Supreme Court majority he appointed while president that sent decisions on legalizing the procedure back to the individual states.
* Sun-Times | Chicago man released from prison after serving 11 years for a murder he did not commit: In late 2012, Robinson was shot multiple times in the leg and foot, and endured multiple painful surgeries and a long recovery that left him unable to walk without crutches. In January 2013, just weeks after his surgery and still needing crutches to walk, he was identified by police as a gunman who sprinted after Kelvin Jemison in front of the Washington Park Homes and gunned Jemison down.
* Seattle Times | How Boeing put Wall Street first, safety second ahead of Alaska Air blowout: The arc of Boeing’s fall can be traced back a quarter century, to when its leaders elevated the interests of shareholders above all others, said Richard Aboulafia, industry analyst with AeroDynamic Advisory. “Crush the workers. Share price. Share price. Share price. Financial moves and metrics come first,” was Boeing’s philosophy, he said. It was, he said, “a ruthless effort to cut costs without any realization of what it could do to capabilities.”
* Crain’s | Music equipment marketplace moving HQ to the Salt Shed: Online music-equipment seller Reverb has leased about 25,000 square feet in a two-story brick building along the northern edge of the Salt Shed at 1357 N. Elston Ave., the company confirmed. Reverb is slated to move its main office to the building next year from its current home in a slightly larger space on Lincoln Avenue in the Roscoe Village neighborhood.
* Screen Mag | Steph Curry TV Series ‘Mr. Throwback’ Begins Filming in Chicago in May: When Chicagoans hear “Steph Curry is coming to Chicago” they might quickly leap to the conclusion that the legendary NBA sharpshooter is being traded to the city’s beloved Chicago Bulls. No, Stephen Curry is not being traded to the Bulls. But he is reportedly coming to the Windy City to co-star in a mockumentary project entitled Mr. Throwback that has been ordered straight to series at Peacock.
* WBEZ | Women saw red flags, one man saw defamation: Attorney Marc Trent said his client, D’Ambrosio, is one of dozens of men across the country who have been harmed by false claims about them made in online groups like “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” […] But experts dismissed the lawsuit as a “bad idea” that is aimed at groups that help keep women safe. “The service that [the groups] provide outweighs the danger that they could potentially pose to somebody that’s posted on them,” said Michele McBride Simonelli, an attorney specializing in internet defamation.
* NYT | What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80,000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs: Two companies favored white applicants over Black applicants significantly more than others. They were AutoNation, a used car retailer, which contacted presumed white applicants 43 percent more often, and Genuine Parts Company, which sells auto parts including under the NAPA brand, and called presumed white candidates 33 percent more often.
* AP | Tesla settles lawsuit over man’s death in a crash involving its semi-autonomous driving software: The amount Tesla paid to settle the case was not disclosed in court documents filed Monday, just a day before the trial stemming from the 2018 crash on a San Francisco Bay Area highway was scheduled to begin. In a court filing requesting to keep the sum private, Tesla said it agreed to settle the case in order to “end years of litigation.” Shares of Tesla Inc., down 30% this year, slipped 1% before the market opened Tuesday.
* Daily Beast | Read Elon Musk’s Wild Deposition in Neo-Nazi Brawl Case: A transcript of the two-hour deposition from March 27 was made public on Monday, and was first obtained by HuffPost. In it, Musk admitted that he had a “limited understanding” of Brody’s allegations against him, to the extent that he originally believed Brody’s attorney was the plaintiff in the case. He also said he did no research of his own before tweeting last June that a brawl between two right-wing extremist groups in Portland, Oregon had actually been “a probable false flag situation,” and that Brody had been involved.
* This release was sent out before Ozinga announced his resignation on Facebook…
The Representative District Committee for the 37th Representative District today announced a vacancy in the office of Representative in the General Assembly due to State Representative Tim Ozinga’s (R-Mokena) recent resignation. The Committee will appoint a replacement for both the remaining term in the 103rd General Assembly as well as for the Republican nomination in the 37th Representative District in the upcoming General Election.
The Representative District Committee for the 37th Representative District is comprised of:
Will County Republican Chairman Tim Ozinga
Orland Township Republican Committeewoman Cindy Katsenes
In accordance with 10 ILCS 5/25-6(a), vacancies created in the General Assembly must be filled within 30 days of the member’s day of resignation.
The Representative District Committee for the 37th Representative District will convene on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 3:00 PM at 9400 Bormet Drive, #10, Mokena, IL 60448, to review all applicant information, and vote to appoint the replacement for this vacancy in office and in nomination. This meeting is open to the public.
Today Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) Director Dana Popish Severinghaus will step down from her role on April 15th. Popish Severinghaus has served as Director of DOI since January of 2021. Governor Pritzker has appointed State Senator Ann Gillespie as new Acting Director of DOI, pending Senate confirmation.
“Dana has served the state of Illinois admirably, helping protect consumers against predatory insurance practices and reforming the system to work for the people of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “She was a champion for Illinoisans who otherwise would have struggled to navigate vast, complex insurance systems, and I’m grateful to her for service. I am also pleased to appoint an accomplished advocate like Senator Gillespie as the new acting director and look forward to seeing her decades of experience at work making the insurance system better for every Illinoisan.”
State Senator Ann Gillespie has been appointed as the new head of DOI and will begin serving in an Acting Director role in mid-April. Gillespie, who will resign her state senate seat, has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2019 representing Chicago’s northwest suburbs. As a State Senator, Gillespie sponsored the bill to create the state-based health insurance marketplace and has been a trusted partner on health care consumer protection issues in the General Assembly. Gillespie is a former business executive, health care attorney, and consultant in the health care field. She brings decades of experience in the insurance and managed care spaces to the role.
Under the leadership of Popish Severinghaus, DOI was instrumental in aiding Governor Pritzker in supporting and passing legislation authorizing a state-based health insurance marketplace in Illinois in 2023, and she led the agency in enrolling record-high numbers of Illinoisans in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace.
During her time at DOI, Popish Severinghaus increased headcount to better serve the needs of Illinois insurance consumers and diversified staff to advance equity. She also served as Vice Chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Privacy Protection Working Group to advance legislation to protect consumers’ data.
“I am incredibly grateful to have served the people of Illinois and to have led the passionate and committed staff at the Illinois Department of Insurance who stand out among state insurance regulators,” said Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “The Department is at the forefront of regulatory enforcement, innovation, and policymaking, and we’ve accomplished great things for Illinois insurance consumers. It really was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“It’s an honor to be asked to serve the state of Illinois in this new capacity, and I am eager to begin working with the Department of Insurance to make sure the system works for Illinois consumers,” said State Senator Ann Gillespie. “My experience in the healthcare field underlies decades of advocacy and public service, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue that work.”
The Illinois DOI regulates insurance industry behavior in Illinois, protecting consumers and fostering a competitive marketplace. DOI provides a central source of information on insurance providers as well as rules and regulations surrounding insurance, as well as an outlet to file grievances or complaints against insurance providers. The Director is also responsible for the operations of the Office of the Special Deputy Receiver (OSD), which handles the affairs of insurance companies placed in rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation.
* Justin Laurence and Leigh Giangreco flesh it out…
Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to request an additional $70 million from the City Council to continue to house, feed and care for the tens of thousands of migrants being transported to the city through the rest of the year. […]
Johnson’s position has changed in recent weeks, as members of his administration have told members of the City Council and other partners they were planning to make the $70 million request, according to sources familiar with the discussions. But the mayor’s office is aware a vote in the City Council could prove difficult as the city’s spending to care for asylum seekers has split the body for months.
Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, who chairs the Budget Committee that would need to approve the funding, said “there’s a request forthcoming,” but he has not been briefed on the details.
“I don’t think it’s a slam dunk by any stretch of the imagination,” he said of the pending $70 million request. “There will definitely need to be a conversation around the issue as to ‘what’s the money for . . . or what are we doing in order to make this work.’ It just hasn’t gone through that deliberative process for anybody to make an educated decision on the matter.”
You cannot wish reality away. And the reality is, that money is needed.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been a very big state problem for a very long time. The department now has new leadership under Director Heidi Mueller, whose appointment was met with widespread praise. The former director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice was confirmed by the Senate without a single “no” vote last month, minutes before I interviewed her.
During the past year or so, DCFS has taken major heat from the legislature’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules over the department’s regulation of child care centers. At one point, some legislators said the embattled agency should get out of the child care regulatory business altogether and focus on its core mission.
So I asked Mueller what she thought about the idea. “I do think that getting out of the child care licensing business for DCFS helps us focus on our core mission,” Mueller said.
Mueller talked about the idea in the context of “right-sizing” the agency. Her main priority, she said, is “getting in front” of the steadily increasing numbers of calls to the agency’s hotline, the resulting increase in investigations and the increased number of kids in care, which she said is “really unsustainable at some point.” Instead, she said she wants to “focus on prevention” and work with other state agencies “to make sure that no family is coming into or touching the DCFS system just because they need support and services for their child.”
“Most kids,” she said, “want to be with family, they want to be at home.” And she noted that “strong, healthy families” would help “keep kids safe.”
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert has been a ferocious critic of DCFS over the years, but he called a recent meeting with Mueller “highly productive.” (Mueller said she wants regular meetings with Golbert to make sure their two offices are “finding solutions together.”)
Golbert, however, pointed out that despite all the increases of youth in care, the state’s rate of removing kids from families is “one of the lowest in the country, and has been for the past 10 years or so.” He also warned that when DCFS has in the past tried to decrease the removal rate, “we have often seen many high-profile cases of dead children.”
Kyle Hillman with the National Association of Social Workers’ Illinois chapter has also been a sharp critic of DCFS, but he had a much different take than Golbert.
“The director’s strategy to adjust the number of children in care, prioritize kinship, overhaul departmental culture and processes, and enhance the provision of intact services and community programs, is undeniably the correct policy and structural direction for the department,” Hillman said. Too little public attention is paid to “the thousands of cases where this approach has significantly benefited families and youths in care,” Hillman claimed. Instead, he said, “it’s the tragic incidents, including the loss of lives among children previously involved with DCFS, that tend to dominate headlines.”
The two DCFS critics were unified, however, when it came to Mueller’s discussion of kids who appear to be trapped in “beyond medical necessity” hospitalizations. Numerous stories have been written about children who are in mental hospitals and can’t leave because there’s no place for them to go.
Mueller said 31 children were currently in beyond medical necessity situations, and “beyond medical necessity is the term that an insurance provider uses to classify a child when they will no longer pay for services for that child … It doesn’t always mean that that child doesn’t require further treatment and intensive care.”
Golbert said while beyond medical necessity is indeed an insurance term, Mueller was “mistaken and, frankly, disingenuous” about what it really means.
“If you talk with the doctors and care providers at the hospital,” Golbert said, “they will tell you how horrible this is for the children, how they don’t need to be there and how unconscionable it is that DCFS doesn’t have anywhere for the children.”
Hillman agreed. “The issue at hand is not about denying necessary care to those who need it; rather, it centers on the grave reality that children deemed ready to transition to less restrictive environments are instead left languishing in hospital settings.”
Even so, Mueller said finding placements for those children is an “immediate priority of mine.”
At the end of the conversation I wished Mueller luck, because despite her obvious skills, talents and experience, she’ll likely need it.
* The column was an excerpt of a much longer piece I wrote for subscribers. Former DCFS Director Jess McDonald, who has been credited for straightening up the agency, saw that piece and sent me a note…
Rich,
Read your interview with Heidi Mueller. Thank you. She is just what DCFS needs. Hope she can keep up with expectations. I believe she will be an enormous difference maker in Illinois human services.
In an 8-1 decision last week, Illinois House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee members approved legislation that would stop requiring people age 79 and up to take driving tests when renewing their licenses.
“What we are trying to address is the discriminatory practice of requiring behind-the-wheel tests for seniors to renew their license,” said sponsor and state Rep. Jeff Keicher, a Sycamore Republican.
The next test is a vote in the House on Bill 4431. If that succeeds, the Senate would follow. […]
Democratic Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado of Chicago voted “present” and Democratic Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl of Northbrook was a “no,” but said “I want to keep the conversation going.”
An Illinois House committee advanced a measure that would end the state’s subminimum wage for tipped workers amid bipartisan opposition this week, but the bill’s sponsor said she’d seek further compromise before presenting it for a vote. […]
Hernandez made her comments during a lengthy hearing Wednesday in a packed committee room filled with advocates on both sides of the issue. She ultimately promised to not bring the bill to a vote in the full House without first negotiating amendments on it, but she also noted one of those changes would better address inequity within the industry and add punitive measures against “bad actors.”
Proponents of the bill said that not all employers follow the law and dependency on tips perpetuates inequalities. A 2014 report from the Economic Policy Institute think tank found at that time 66% of tipped workers were women and the poverty rate of tipped workers was almost double that of nontipped workers. […]
While the bill is intended to increase wages for tipped workers and address inequities within the industry, much of the roughly two-hour debate in the committee hearing focused on how the proposal will impact businesses and employees.
Chicago is taking its time to fully phase out the subminimum wage for restaurant servers, bartenders and other tipped workers. It won’t be until 2028 when businesses will be required, under an ordinance passed by the City Council in October, to give all those employees a base pay of $15.80 per hour, the citywide minimum wage.
But already, some progressive Illinois lawmakers are pushing forward on a proposed bill that would eliminate the state’s subminimum wage for tipped workers across the state over a two-year period.
We support the end goal here, which is making sure that workers earn a decent living. But the restaurant business operates on notoriously thin profit margins, and it seems like every week we read or hear about another beloved eatery shutting down. Each closure is a blow to customers but most of all, to workers and restaurant owners. Something is lost every time a distinctive small neighborhood restaurant closes.
So we urge state lawmakers to follow the same take-it-slow approach. Let the proposal simmer a bit, continue negotiating with the industry, and most of all, first gauge how the city’s restaurants fare after Chicago implements its ordinance. That ordinance will add an 8% raise in July on the current $9.48 hourly wage for tipped workers.
Following a report that revealed a number of shortcomings in the public defender system in Illinois, state lawmakers are considering a measure that would create a statewide office to provide public defenders with additional support in an effort to ensure indigent criminal defendants receive adequate legal representation. […]
But Senate President Don Harmon said in an interview that his goal for the legislation he filed on Thursday is to promote further negotiations with criminal justice reform advocates, resulting in a version that could be passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly before its spring session ends on May 24. […]
Under Harmon’s bill, the new office would provide unspecified support for public defenders and facilitate “a strategic planning process designed to enhance public defender services and ensure that effective assistance of counsel is rendered regardless of the jurisdiction in which charges are brought.” The bill also says the state Supreme Court “shall provide administrative and other support” through June 30, 2026. […]
The legislation is meant to address disparities in the resources allotted to county prosecutors and public defenders as well as the lack of public defense resources in rural areas — many of which don’t even have a public defender’s office — compared with larger counties, such as Cook County.
Last week, another bill moved out of committee that would place a moratorium on carbon pipelines until a framework is in place. But that will not move forward while discussions continue on how to merge the different proposals. […]
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Aurora, this week moved several bills that would enhance the state’s Tier 2 pension system, which includes nearly all state employees hired after 2010.
While the measures are not expected to pass, they come amid robust discussion on reforms to that system. A bill that merges some of those proposals together could emerge either in the next few weeks or this fall. […]
House Bill 1168, sponsored by state Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Inverness, would ensure that when a person’s DNA is collected after they’ve been a victim of a crime, it will not be entered into a DNA database.
The House Judiciary-Criminal Committee passed the Nelson Mandela Act Tuesday. It would limit how long someone can spend in isolation without any time outside their cell.
“The conditions of solitary confinement are pretty horrible. It’s loud, it’s constantly bright, there’s screaming, there’s banging consistently, and all that time you’re in a cell by yourself or with one other person at any given time, usually by yourself,” said Eric Anderson, an apprentice at the Restore Justice Foundation. […]
If the bill becomes law, jails and prisons in Illinois could only hold an inmate in solitary confinement for 10 days in a 180-day period. After 10 days, the inmate could still be held in disciplinary segregation but must get at least four hours daily outside of their cell.
“Locking people in solitary does not work, it just destroys people’s minds, and that’s why we’re asking to limit it in Illinois. The bill does not eliminate it entirely, it just limits it,” said Uptown People’s Law Center Executive Director Alan Mills.
In 2019, students at Hononegah High School started a petition to change their mascot from the “Indians.” A dueling petition began thereafter to keep the school’s “tradition” – especially for those used to “Princess Hononegah” performing in Native dress at sporting halftimes.
Rep. Maurice West began his government career in 2019 with an eye on Hononegah. Since then, the local lawmaker sponsored a bill requiring Native American history to be taught in public schools.
And in February, Rep. West introduced HB5617 – banning Native American logos, mascots and names in Illinois K-12 schools. The act specifically targets schools using “any person, animal or object” with aspects of indigenous culture and tribes. […]
“I’ve been working on an amendment to clarify that we are not trying to change the name of Winnebago or Waukegan, for example,” says the Rockford lawmaker. “We’re not trying to change those names. Those are the names of towns. We are just focused on the imagery and the mascots themselves.”
Illinois Farm Bureau continues to communicate its opposition to the proposed “Wetlands and Small Streams Protection Act.”
The legislation, proposed by state Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, and state Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, requires the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish a state-level permitting program to regulate wetlands and small streams.
The reach of the proposed legislation concerns IFB as it could lead to essentially every stream and wetland in Illinois being regulated, regardless of size. […]
Sofat explained the proposed legislation allows DNR to charge a permit fee ranging from $260-$5,000. The legislation also allows DNR to charge an undisclosed amount in fees for wetland delineation.
* Here’s language from Rep. Anna Moeller’s wetland protection bill, HB5386…
Section 15. Exemptions.
(a) Consistent with Section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act, as long as they do not have as their purpose bringing a wetland or stream into a use to which it was not previously subject and do not entail discharge of toxic pollutants, the following are not prohibited by or otherwise subject to regulation under this Act:
(1) Normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities, including plowing, seeding, cultivating, minor
Governor Pritzker will be in Carbondale to celebrate the total solar eclipse. The governor will hold a media availability following totality at 1:59 pm. Click here to watch.
* Isabel’s top picks…
* BND | Protesters march against display of Confederate flag, swastikas near Belleville school: The protesters included local activist JD Dixon and Belleville native Claire Howell, who said her best friend’s childhood home is located in the neighborhood where resident Stewart Lannert displays the Confederate flag, swastikas and references the enslavement of Black people on plantations in yard signs that express his political views.
* Tribune | State elections board asks AG’s office to look into publisher of fake newspapers for printing voter data: Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the elections board, said the board has received dozens of complaints from voters asking how personal information got into the hands of the publisher, Local Government Information Services. The publication of that information on LGIS websites is a possible violation of a statutory prohibition on the use of voter identification other than for “bona fide political purposes,” the elections board said.
NEW: Two months after @GovPritzker & @ToniPreckwinkle met with @ChicagosMayor and initially agreed to 3 way deal to fund migrant crisis, days later MBJ said no. Tonight Aldermen say calls are being made as city NOW realizes it will need to kick in 70$M pic.twitter.com/vVKpSE3mdA
* Tribune | Number of students receiving Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships soared in program’s final year, according to state data: The program supported more than 15,000 students with scholarships in the 2023-24 academic year, a 56% increase from the previous year, according to Department of Revenue data obtained by the Tribune. Financial contributions totaled more than $90 million for the program’s final year, up from $75 million last year. However, the number of contributions decreased by about 500 to a total of 4,700 donations. That’s roughly an average donation of $19,400 for the 2023-24 year.
* Center for Illinois Politics | Illinois Politics: Always interesting, sometimes stranger than fiction: Every political campaign worries about spies or moles infiltrating their ranks. But Poshard’s campaign for governor of Illinois really did have a certified spy – though Poshard’s campaign was never the target. The shadowed name in this story is Dave Rupert, a Chicago trucker recruited by the FBI to infiltrate a militant offshoot of the Irish Republican Army that was trying to blow up the peace process in Northern Ireland.
* LA Times | The perfect heist? Inside the seamless, sophisticated, stealthy L.A. theft that netted up to $30 million: They targeted a Gardaworld building on Roxford Street in Sylmar, accessing a vault where huge sums of cash were stored. … Gardaworld describes itself as a “global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals.” Among its businesses is cash management and vault services.
* South Side Weekly | Mayor Johnson to Delay Picking New Public Safety Commissioners: On Thursday, however, word came down from the Fifth Floor: April’s meeting will not be the interim commissioners’ last. With approximately seventy-two hours until the deadline, the mayor’s office had not even done background checks on the fifteen candidates, let alone interviewed any of them. The interim commissioners would have to wait another month for the end of their term.
* Sun-Times | 300 migrants to be housed at shuttered Catholic church on Northwest Side: The Archdiocese of Chicago will lease St. Bartholomew Catholic Church at no cost — months after church officials offered to house new arrivals rent-free at the church. In turn, the city will sub-lease the building to the Zakat Foundation, which provides emergency relief and aid, to care for 300 new arrivals starting later this month, Johnson’s office said.
* South Side Weekly | Which Wards Have ShotSpotter?: On Monday, the City Council Committee on Police & Fire advanced an ordinance that would place the decision to keep ShotSpotter at the ward level, with individual alderpersons choosing whether or not to retain the controversial gunshot-detection technology. The legislation, sponsored by 17th Ward alderperson David Moore, openly defies Mayor Brandon Johnson, who fulfilled a campaign promise by announcing in February that he would end the city’s contract with ShotSpotter in September.
* Tribune | One year in: Chicago police district councils face discord amid slow steps toward community oversight: Lee had only served on the brand-new civilian council for the 2nd Police District for seven months, which was meant to represent the civilian voices of Hyde Park and Kenwood residents in the affairs of the Chicago Police Department. But rifts among council members over workload and meeting attendance quickly deteriorated into accusations of lying, public condemnation and rumors of resignation. An attempted no-confidence vote was one of the flashpoints punctuating an early meeting.
* Daily Herald | ‘Least-hairy option’: School leaders believe Arlington Heights Bears stadium still in play: The superintendents of Northwest Suburban High School District 214, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15 spoke about their closed-door meetings with Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren that took place in January in the lead-up to the Cook County Board of Review’s ruling on the 326-acre former racetrack’s property value.
* Tom Kacich | Dearth of election judges bodes ill for November: And Champaign County Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons is already worried about not having enough election judges to staff a full complement of 66 polling places for the general election. It was enough of a problem for the just-completed primary that 15 voting centers — eight in Champaign-Urbana and the rest scattered around the county — weren’t opened.
* WGN | First all-minority, LGBTQ-owned dispensary set to open in Illinois: “Sway is a feeling, it’s a vibe,” said Edie Moore, co-owner of Sway. “It’s the culmination of Black and Brown communities and LGBTQ communities … coming together for cannabis.” Moore is not only a co-owner of the soon-to-be dispensary, but also an advocate for modernizing laws involving cannabis.
* WGEM | $1.5 million from opioid settlement coming to Adams County: Public health administrator Jerrod Welch said the county is expected to receive $1.5 million or more over the next decade to address the impacts of the epidemic. It’s all part of the national opioid settlement. The county can put that money toward many avenues such as educating the schools and workplace.
* Daily Herald | Bus company owner cited after unlicensed driver transported Wauconda students: In the wake of a group of students being transported to Wauconda Middle School by an unlicensed bus driver, the company’s owner has been cited for allowing the employee to make trips, Lake County officials said Saturday. Just after midnight on March 28, a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a bus in North Barrington for improper lane usage. The bus was traveling from O’Hare International Airport to Wauconda Middle School with 50 children aboard returning from a field trip.
* Tribune | Eileen O’Neill Burke: How she won and what it might mean for the office of Cook County’s top prosecutor going forward: Should O’Neill Burke ultimately win, she would quickly face formulating her own reform agenda, making cases to tamp down Chicago’s persistent gun violence, and running an office struggling with morale issues. “As much as numbers have gone down, the amount of street crime is extraordinarily high and has a tremendous impact on the community,” said Richard Kling, a clinical professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.
* Sun-Times | ‘I don’t know how I can live without him’: Chicago cop who died by suicide was devoted family man: In recent years, the police department has grappled with a troubling rise in suicides and stinging criticism of its efforts to provide mental health support to officers to prevent them from burning out. But even before then, a U.S. Justice Department report in 2017 found the suicide rate of Chicago cops was 60% higher than the national average for law enforcement officials.
* Angie Leventis Lourgos | When an abortion clinic became the last one standing in Missouri: “There was no top to the head, there was no top to the brain,” said the man in the baseball cap, his sunglasses now clipped to his shirt and no longer concealing his eyes, which welled with tears. “The options were to either carry this child who had a death sentence. Or to terminate the pregnancy.” […] The pregnant patient’s physician referred her to Hope Clinic, which performs abortions at up to 24 weeks’ gestation. The couple were confused and dismayed: They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t terminate the pregnancy in the same state where they received prenatal care. Although they lived nearby in southern Illinois, the young woman was treated throughout her pregnancy by doctors and nurses in Missouri and planned to deliver at a hospital there. In her time of grief, she said, it was difficult to understand why she had to find a new medical provider to terminate the pregnancy as they faced the worst possible outcome.
* WSIL | Little Resource Center looks to expand access to books in Carbondale: The Little Free Library program brings small box structures to communities across the US. The structures are then filled with books. The idea is that residents will go to the libraries and switch out a book for one that is already there. According to the Little Free Library website, Carbondale currently has five libraries scattered across the city. The Little Resource Center hopes to open the city’s sixth location in the Tatum Heights neighborhood.
* QC Times | South Carolina beats Iowa 87-75 to win NCAA championship: Clark did all she could to lead the Hawkeyes to their first championship. She scored 30 points, including a championship-record 18 in the first quarter. She will go down as one of the greatest players in NCAA history. She rewrote the record book at Iowa (34-5), finishing as the career leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,951 career points.
