Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » 2024

Judge issues preliminary injunction for post-primary slating law (Updated)

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Pearson at the Tribune…

A judge in Springfield on Wednesday issued a temporary injunction blocking a law passed by Democrats that would have prevented Republicans from slating candidates for legislative races not filled in the March primary.

Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll issued the order pending a hearing on June 3, which had been the statutory date for filling the unfilled candidate slots on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure into law on May 3 shortly after Democratic majorities in the House and Senate passed the legislation in a two-day tour de force.

Basically, the judge told the State Board of Elections not to reject the locally slated candidates. The board has already said it would continue processing the filings until the courts worked it out.

…Adding… Senate Republican Leader John Curran…

“This was a gross manipulation of the electoral process by Gov. Pritzker and his Democratic allies that was clearly outside of constitutional bounds. We look forward to the Illinois courts restoring choices for voters in legislative districts throughout this state.”

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Sun-Times reports two revenue sticking points remain (Updated)

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mitchell Armentrout and Tina Sfondeles…

An army of lobbyists for corporate sports betting giants were making a full-court press in Springfield in an effort to shelve the hike on an Illinois industry that generated more than $1 billion last year. And their message — that more than doubling the tax rate would lead to worse odds for customers and send them to illegal sportsbooks — was resonating in corners of the House Democratic caucus. […]

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, called it “a major sticking point” in the final days of session. […]

State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, who has shepherded most gaming legislation in the Capitol, suggested the Illinois rate could fall somewhere below the 35% sought by Pritzker. […]

Perhaps a bigger sticking point in budget talks has been the governor’s proposal to lower the tax discount retailers receive for collecting sales taxes, which his office says would net the state an additional $101 million. Retailers are currently reimbursed 1.75% of the sales taxes they collect. […]

During a lengthy House Democratic caucus, members were roll-called on their support for the sports betting increase and for the retailers cap. Neither appeared to have enough support from members as of Wednesday afternoon.

The sports betting tax hike is projected to bring in $200 million. The reduced retailers’ discount is expected to generate $101 million for the state and $85 million for local governments.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association has beaten back every attempt to take away their sales tax discount, but governors keep trying.

…Adding… Budgeteers went into a meeting at around 9:30 pm.

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WBEZ report: Comms job candidate with mayor’s office claims he was not hired because he formerly worked for Pritzker

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a WBEZ story entitled “Who’s in Brandon Johnson’s cabinet?”…

And it took 10 months to permanently fill the director of communications, an important position as the mayor made his first impressions as a leader. Reese, Johnson’s longtime confidant and former Chicago Teachers Union spokesperson, formally filled the role last month.

Reese was the de facto communications leader for the past year even as the administration interviewed others for the top job.

A candidate who says he interviewed for the communications director role as the position sat unfilled — and asked their name not be used because of fear of retaliation — said they were strung along for eight months. Despite interviewing for the role and receiving a verbal offer for a different position within the press office, the candidate’s start date was repeatedly delayed. The candidate said they were ultimately told they had too much “baggage” because of formerly working for Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Ultimately, the candidate described the process as “frustrating, unprofessional and kind of chaotic.”

Pacione-Zayas declined to comment on the hiring process and whether candidates weren’t considered because of affiliations with Pritzker.

“It’s more about alignment than who you worked for, who you didn’t work for,” Pacione-Zayas said.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Jake Sheridan…

* Mack Lieberman…

Crain’s…

A symbolic resolution calling for the firing of the embattled head of the Chicago Transit Authority stalled out today at City Council.

The resolution, introduced by Alds. Andre Vasquez, 40th, and Matt Martin, 47th, with 27 co-sponsors, calls for Mayor Brandon Johnson to replace CTA President Dorval Carter, joining the growing chorus calling for the transit chief’s ouster. But Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, put a temporary block on the measure by banishing it to the Rules Committee, which will test the resolve of the sponsors to continue to push the issue. […]

“I’m 58 years old, and I have never advocated for someone losing their job, except on one occasion and that was former (Chicago Police) Superintendent Garry McCarthy,” said Ald. Chris Taliaferro, 29th. “But I’m just not in the business of taking food off people’s table.”

Ald. William Hall, 6th, another member of the Black caucus, argued the resolution went too far when Carter has “done nothing immoral, unethical or illegal.” Instead, he proposed a five-year plan that could address performance issues with the CTA.

* Common Cause…

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will begin a rulemaking to require disclosure for Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content in political advertising on the nation’s airwaves.

Statement of Ishan Mehta, Common Cause Media and Democracy Program Director

Americans expect and deserve to know whether the content they see on our public airwaves is real or AI-generated content – especially as the technology is increasingly being used to mislead voters. This rulemaking is welcome news as the use of deceptive AI and deepfakes threaten our democracy and is already being used to erode trust in our institutions and our elections.

We have seen the impact of AI in politics in the form of primary ads using AI voices and images, and in robocalls during the primary in New Hampshire.

We commend the FCC and Chair Rosenworcel for this work to require disclosures for AI-generated content in political ads. It is imperative that regulations around political advertising keep pace with the onward march of new and evolving technologies.

We urge Congress and other agencies like the FEC (Federal Election Commission) to follow the FCC’s lead and take proactive steps to protect our democracy from very serious threat posed by AI. That is why we have previously filed comments with the FEC urging the agency to amend its regulation on “fraudulent misrepresentation” to include “deliberately false Artificial Intelligence-generated content in campaign ads or other communications.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol Connection | Tradeswomen travel to Springfield, advocates for worker’s rights: The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades partnered with labor advocates to hold the first Tradeswomen Take Over Springfield Advocacy Day at the Capitol. The group wanted to show lawmakers that women make up a significant portion of these union jobs, and that their interests should be taken into account when developing policies at the State level.

* Innocence Project | Illinois Can Once Again Lead in Preventing Wrongful Convictions by Passing a Critical False Confession Bill: Despite the fact that Illinois judges routinely rule on the reliability of other evidence, such as eyewitness identifications and forensic evidence, Illinois has not asked its judges to assess the reliability of the alleged confession. In the Dixmoor Five case, given that the DNA evidence, pre-trial, excluded each of them as the source of the semen on the victim’s body and their so-called confessions did not align with the other evidence, it is unlikely that a judge would have found the confessions reliable. Wrongly convicted, the Dixmoor Five spent a total of 95 years behind bars, losing years of their lives they can never get back, until they were exonerated. Meanwhile, the real perpetrator, subsequently matched to a DNA database search, remained free and, in fact, committed other sexual assaults.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | More kinds of ticks, longer season as experts warn ‘Illinois is at the frontline’:
Though the longhorned tick generally targets cattle, Maureen Murray, assistant director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo, said Chicago residents should be on the lookout for other types of ticks. Tick patterns tend to vary significantly from year to year, Murray said, but one consistency has been a movement in tick season. “We’re seeing less severe winters, which might lead to more ticks,” Murray said. “Fewer ticks die during the winter, and ticks can be active sooner in the spring, just because it warms up faster.”

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Who’s in Brandon Johnson’s cabinet? Many are holdovers from the administrations he often criticizes: Pacione-Zayas points to the infrastructure the city has built in the past year — and the creation of new positions devoted to the city’s response — as evidence of its nimbleness. “Given what we’ve been able to accomplish, albeit some bumps, it’s pretty amazing that we’ve kept government running,” Pacione-Zayas said. “And we’ve also addressed this situation in ways that nobody ever gave you instructions on how to do — without any federal support or intervention.”

* NYT | Chicago Is Tired of Waiting for Trains, and Thinks It Knows Who’s to Blame: “Yes, C.T.A. chief Carter needs to go,” Crain’s Chicago Business wrote in an editorial last month, saying that his agency was in a “shambolic state.” Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Democrat of Illinois, said recently that there “needs to be an evolution of leadership in order for us to get where we need to go with the C.T.A.” Since the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Carter has drawn the ire of public transportation advocates, who have called him out for failing to fix the system’s financial problems, sluggish service and thefts and assaults on L trains and buses.

* Block Club | Simon’s Tavern Celebrates 90 Years As Andersonville’s Bar: It became a legally licensed bar in May 1934 under its original owner Simon Lundberg after operating as an illegal basement speakeasy during the latter years of Prohibition. In 1970, Lundberg passed the business to his son Roy Lundberg who ran it until 1994, when Martin took the reins.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ProPublica | Ticketed at School as a Teen, a Young Black Woman Is Suing an Illinois City for Violating Her Civil Rights: Amara Harris, the young Black woman from suburban Chicago who won a yearslong fight against a police ticket that accused her of stealing a classmate’s AirPods, took her fight to court again Tuesday. This time, she was the plaintiff, not the defendant. Harris’ attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging civil rights violations, including racial discrimination and malicious prosecution. When she was a high school junior in 2019, a city police officer based at the school, using information gathered by school deans, ticketed her for violating a municipal ordinance against theft. Harris has always said she did not steal the AirPods but picked them up by mistake, thinking they were her own.

* Daily Herald | ‘We need resolution’: State lawsuit against Wheaton history group drags on: Twenty-three historical societies or museums help tell the history of towns in DuPage County, according to the Illinois State Historical Society. But if you want to see a treasure trove of historic artifacts from the county seat in Wheaton, you are out of luck. A lengthy court battle is still trying to determine what the Wheaton Historic Preservation Council did with its extensive collection and more than $300,000.

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan roofing contractor pays $365K in penalties ‘for putting his workers’ lives … in danger repeatedly’: The payment came after the Department of Labor moved to seize the contractor’s assets as part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) debt collection program, the release said. According to the news release, the employer, Joshua Herion, “repeatedly expos(ed) employees to falls from elevations.” Falls are the leading cause of death and serious injuries in the construction industry, it said.

*** Downstate ***

* Muddy River News | Adams County public defender questioning local interpretation of Pretrial Fairness Act in cases of Springfield, Quincy men: Kareun Brewer, 21, and Latwaon McCray, 42, appeared in Adams County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon with Public Defender Kevin Bross before Judge Tad Brenner. Bross filed an “objection to arraignment” motion on Tuesday afternoon. Brenner asked Assistant State’s Attorney Brett Jansen how long it would take for the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office to respond to the motion. Jansen said he thought they could respond and be ready for a hearing in a week. Bross told Brenner his motion was a challenge to the application of the Pretrial Fairness Act. He believes the constitutional rights of Brewer and Latwaon have been violated. Both men are in the Adams County Jail on denial of pretrial release.

* SJ-R | City Water, Lights and Power gearing up for possible lawsuit against EPA over new rules: City Water, Light and Power got the green light from city council in a 7-3 vote to seek counsel outside of the Springfield Office of Public Utilities to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over new regulations. On April 25 of this year, the EPA announced a final rule to reduce the discharge of toxic metals and other pollutants into the nation’s water bodies from coal-fired power plants.

* SJ-R | Frustration mounting for tenants of apartment complex in downtown Springfield: Frustration is mounting over the condition of one of Springfield’s premier downtown living quarters. The owners of Lincoln Tower Apartments at 520 S. Second St., Illinois-based Lincoln Tower Holdings, LLC and Delaware-based Strategic Lincoln, LLC, have been taken to court by the city of Springfield over a crumbling underground garage for residents and other fire code violations, said city attorney Gregory Moredock.

*** Cicadapocalypse ***

* WBEZ | Who wins during the cicada eruption of 2024? It turns out it’s the caterpillars: More than just a nuisance, periodical cicadas are an important player in the forest ecosystem. A 2023 study published in the journal Science, found that 80 species of birds started eating cicadas instead of caterpillars during the Brood X emergence, which had an effect on trees where the caterpillars live. Reset learns how the current eruption of cicadas affects the forest ecosystem, and the ripple effects we could be seeing for years to come.

* Sun-Times | Cicada-infused Malört shots are all the buzz at Lombard brewpub: Noon Whistle Brewing in Lombard got the idea to create the creepy drink as a fun way to spread the word of the establishment via social media. Their twist on Malört, an iconic Chicago spirit made of wormwood known for its bitter, slightly grapefruit taste, uses real bugs collected in a wooded park neighboring the restaurant. […] “Everyone already hates Malört, so it’s like, let’s just make it even worse,” said Joey Giardiniera, the restaurant’s creative director.

*** Sports ***

* Sun-Times | Ex-Bears QB Justin Fields ‘nowhere near my ceiling’ as he relaunches career with Steelers: Three years after the Bears drafted him 11th overall, hoping he would be their franchise quarterback, they offloaded him to the Steelers for next to nothing. But Fields seems happy to have moved on, as well, and this is the second chance he wanted as soon as he realized the Bears were done with him.

* Sun-Times | White Sox’ Eloy Jimenez suffers hamstring strain; OF Zach DeLoach recalled from Charlotte: Jimenez appeared to be hurt as he crossed home plate on Corey Julks’ two-run single in the fifth inning that gave the Sox a three-run lead in their 5-0 victory Tuesday. Jimenez was pinch-hit for by Gavin Sheets in the seventh inning. Jimenez, who has a long history of soft tissue injury problems, missed the first two weeks of April after suffering an adductor strain in the third game of the season.

*** National ***

* Federal News Network | Labor Dept backs state-by-state refresh of UI benefits systems rocked by pandemic: Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told reporters Tuesday that a nearly 3,000% surge in UI claims in 2020 demonstrated how these legacy IT systems were “inadequate to meet the needs of people who were suddenly out of work.” The department first awarded UI modernization grants to states in 2021. It’s now funding projects in 18 other states, at a time when their systems are experiencing historically low levels of strain.

* Tribune | All eyes are on Milwaukee this summer. Here’s what to do beyond the Republican National Convention.: Long known as Brew City (that German influence), 27 breweries operate in Milwaukee. That compares with more than 40 breweries tapping kegs back in the 1860s. Of those 40, four are still around: Blatz, Pabst, Miller and Schlitz, once the largest beer producer in the U.S. and known as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous.” Hanging out at Lakefront Brewery, especially after a stroll along the Milwaukee RiverWalk, is a great way to spend some time. Sample the gold-medal winning RiverWest Stein, an amber lager, alongside some tasty fried cheese curds.

* NYT | ‘A Completely Different Town Now’: A Community Reels From a Deadly Tornado: Not long after the tornado hit Greenfield, Iowa, residents were already using skid loaders to clear streets. With the hospital damaged, a medical triage center started at the local lumberyard. Paramedics and police officers from across the western half of Iowa were speeding in to help. “Everybody became little makeshift ambulances,” said Ray Sorensen, a member of the Iowa House of Representatives who lives in Greenfield, and who said he helped with the rescues after racing back into town shortly after the storm hit on Tuesday afternoon. “We pulled a guy from the rubble and put him on a little makeshift stretcher that we made, threw him in the back of a truck.”

* Business Journal | Riverfront Times sold, newspaper’s editorial staff laid off: The Riverfront Times’ owner has sold the St. Louis alternative weekly newspaper, and its buyer is not retaining any current editorial staff, according to the RFT’s top editor. “I am absolutely heartsick to see the good writers, editors and photographers who made this publication a must-read for so many years losing their jobs,” said Sarah Fenske. “We fought the good fight, and what else can you say? The journalists here did terrific work day and day out. I hope someone will hire them — and that somehow, despite long odds, they’ll continue in the 47-year RFT tradition of printing the truth and raising hell.”

* Tribune | Amid campus protests against Israel-Hamas war, student journalists assume the spotlight: The reporting has been applauded at a national level. The Pulitzer Prize Board — which is housed at Columbia University, the site of the first solidarity encampment — released a statement May 1 recognizing “the tireless efforts of student journalists” covering protests while facing “great personal and academic risk.” On the front lines, student reporters have been assaulted at UCLA and arrested at Dartmouth College.

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Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.

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Behind the 1969 LGDF agreement

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald…

When Illinois legislators created a state income tax in 1969, they agreed to share a twelfth of it — about 8.3% — through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) rather than allow smaller units of government to enact their own income taxes.

I’ve heard about this agreement so many times, but I’ve wondered who made the agreement and how.

* So, I asked the Illinois Municipal League. I was pointed to their LGDF fact sheet…

Governor Richard Ogilvie enacted the state income tax in 1969. At that time, Governor Ogilvie needed the help of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley to achieve passage of the income tax through the Illinois General Assembly. The agreement between Mayor Daley and Governor Ogilvie ensured that enough legislators would support the income tax to win passage.

Thoughts?

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Question of the day

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker went to California last month to meet with Hollywood execs. The Tribune ran an interesting story about it. Pritzker was asked about the trip during his City Club Q&A last week…

We had a great trip. And honestly, we’ve already, we got an idea from them about something we need to change in the law…. And so that’s in the works for next week, when hopefully the legislature will be done with their work.

* Center Square…

The Pritzker administration is proposing a massive tax incentive package related to the electric vehicle sector.

The incentives amount to about $300 million and would include EV makers that manufacture hovercrafts and microchips.

Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Mark Denzler said if a company doesn’t meet their end of the bargain, they have to return the incentives.

“All of these agreements have claw back provisions, so they don’t just write a check up front. They have to meet certain capital goals, certain hiring goals, and if those are not met, companies are required to repay that money,” Denzler said during a House committee Tuesday.

* Amendment 2 to House Bill 817 makes a change to the state film incentive law. Up until now, incentives were not available for “a production in respect of a game, questionnaire, or contest.” The amendment lines out that language, making the shows eligible. It also allows national talk shows to access the incentives.

* The Question: What new game, questionnaire or contest shows would you like to see produced in Illinois? New ideas only, please. Have fun.

54 Comments

You gotta be kidding me

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Beth Hundsdorfer…

Cameras in the common areas of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center were supposed to make the troubled southern Illinois facility safer for the approximately 200 people with developmental disabilities who live there.

But in mid-February, a camera caught a mental health technician grabbing a patient by the shirt, throwing him to the floor and punching him in the stomach, according to court records.

Although the worker has since been indicted, for 11 days following the incident, the employee continued to work on the same unit without consequence or restriction until an anonymous letter prompted an investigator to go looking for the video. During that time, no one at the facility, including witnesses to the event, reported the abuse, according to public records.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced in March the plan to install cameras in the wake of an ongoing news investigation by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica that unearthed a culture of cruelty, abuse, neglect and cover-ups at Choate. The administration also announced it would move 123 individuals from the facility. So far, 34 Choate residents have moved, mostly to other state-operated developmental centers.

The cameras were supposed to deter employees from mistreating patients or to quickly dispel false allegations of abuse by keeping a record of interactions. But a little-discussed provision, intended to protect workers’ rights and patients’ privacy, almost kept the incident from coming to light: The video can only be reviewed if there is an allegation of abuse or neglect.

Go read the whole thing.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Get The Facts On The Illinois Prescription Drug Board

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The price-setting board proposed in HB4472 is not the solution for Illinois. It would give bureaucrats the power to arbitrarily set medicine prices, deciding what medicines and treatments are “worth” paying for. We can’t leave Illinoisans’ health care up to political whims. Let’s make it easier, not harder for patients to access their medicines. Click here to learn more.

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It’s just a bill

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WCIA…

Lawmakers passed the Governor’s plan for health insurance reform out of the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday.

The measures passed on partisan lines and now heads to the Senate floor. Pritzker’s plan would make a list of changes to the health insurance industry that his office says will put “power back into the hands of patients and their doctors.” […]

The Healthcare Protection Act bans prior authorization for mental health treatments, which is a requirement from health insurance companies that the patient get the permission of their provider for a treatment their doctor already prescribed.

It would also ban step therapies for private insurance and Medicaid. Step therapy is the practice of requiring patients to try cheaper forms of treatments prior to trying more expensive options.

* WBBM…

The state of Illinois is one step closer to allowing people to store digital versions of their driver’s licenses and state ID cards on their smartphones. The Illinois House has passed a bill that would allow the Secretary of State’s Office to issue them.

State Representative Kam Buckner of Chicago, assistant majority leader in the Illinois House, sponsored the legislation.

He says if people can securely store digital versions of credit cards on their smartphones, they should be allowed to do the same with driver’s licenses and state ID cards. […]

The legislation is now before the Illinois Senate.

* SJ-R…

While some disabled and tipped workers have called for improved pay this session, obstacles remain in passing legislation this session despite progress being made.

Two bills now held in the Illinois House would prohibit businesses from paying employees a subminimum wage and instead have them paid the minimum wage, rising to $15 an hour starting next year. Both, however, have encountered resistance from lawmakers and business groups alike who claim it will force them to rise prices to cover the higher wages.

[Rep. Lisa Hernandez] stands by her legislation that would end the tipped wage of $8.40 per hour and replace it with the full minimum wage plus tips. The bill passed out of committee in April despite some opposition within her party, hoping that increased conversation would allow for an agreement to be reached. On Tuesday, she told reporters those negotiations on House Bill 5345 will continue this summer.

“I believe that we made great strides toward a bill that is good for everyone, bridging the interests of restaurant workers and restaurant owners,” she during a press conference. The Illinois Restaurant Association has been staunchly opposed to the measure.

* Tribune…

Legislation to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers statewide appears unlikely to pass before lawmakers adjourn this week, but the coalition pushing the measure vowed Tuesday to continue efforts to bring the rest of Illinois in line with the city of Chicago.

“We have more work to do. We’re going to do that over the summer. We’re going to do it in good faith,” state Sen. Lakesia Collins, a Chicago Democrat, said, standing alongside members of the coalition One Fair Wage at a Springfield news conference.

With the spring legislative session scheduled to adjourn Friday, the bill has not been called to a vote in either chamber, underscoring the difficulty of making the policy statewide after Chicago eliminated the subminimum wage last year.

State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez noted that the measure “made more progress than ever” and did receive a favorable vote in the House Labor and Commerce Committee.

* KFVS…

he Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday cracking down on threats against libraries. […]

The bill is an initiative of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat. It would make violent threats against libraries a class 4 felony. It comes after a wave of threats against libraries, which includes 22 bomb threats between July and Sept. 2023 according to the Secretary of State’s office. […]

The bill passed with broad bipartisan support on an 89-20 vote. All 20 votes against the bill came from Republican representatives. The bill now heads to the state Senate.

Before heading to the floor Tuesday afternoon, the bill passed out of the House Judiciary-Criminal Tuesday morning.

The committee previously passed the bill on April 4 but it was amended Tuesday. The previous version included threats against library employees in addition to the entire library. There were concerns by some civil liberties groups that disagreements could be misinterpreted as threats. The amendment also creates a library security grant program.

* WAND…

State representatives passed a plan Tuesday to create new funeral home regulations in response to the mishandling of human remains at the Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville.

The legislation could create an identification system for all human remains to ensure funeral homes never mishandle remains again.

Under this proposal, anyone intentionally violating preparation room procedures and rules could face a Class 4 felony. People engaging in funeral directing or embalming without a license would be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. […]

The measure passed unanimously out of the House Tuesday. Senate Bill 2643 now moves back to the Senate on concurrence due to a technical amendment.

* Capitol News Illinois…

A bill that would help the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation expand their newly established reservation in DeKalb County advanced out of a state House committee Tuesday, despite concerns about the tribe’s long-term plans for the property.

House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over what is now Shabbona Lake and State Park to the tribe for $1. It also allows the tribe and the Department of Natural Resources to enter into a land management agreement under which the land would remain open to the public for recreational use for an unspecified period. […]

The Prairie Band Potawatomi currently operate a hotel and casino complex on their reservation just north of Topeka, Kansas. But tribal chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick assured the House committee the tribe has no such plans for the property in Illinois. […]

Rupnick insisted the tribe’s immediate plans are to work with IDNR to keep the property open for public recreation. But some Republicans on the committee questioned why, if the bill becomes law, the state should continue to pay for operation of park land that it would no longer own.

The bill passed out of the committee on an 8-4 partisan vote. It now awaits final action in the House and Senate.

* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…

A bill passed by state Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, passed out of the House proactively protects women’s right to life-saving care from any further attacks on women’s health by the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court.

“In Illinois, we believe that every woman deserves the right to safe, compassionate care. No one should be denied the care that could protect them from severe injury or death, which is why it is so important we safeguard the legal protections women in Illinois have long taken for granted. Unfortunately, we are being forced to take action as the recent actions taken by the extremist anti-choice majority on the Supreme Court has put the lives and wellbeing of millions of women at risk,” said Avelar. “As an Illinoisian and as a woman, I will not back down until we honor the humanity of every patient. Providing medically necessary services, like life-saving abortions, is a baseline commitment to safeguarding the well-being and inalienable rights of women across the state.”

Although currently protected by federal law, the Supreme Court’s anti-choice majority is expected to rule as early as this June in Moyle v. Idaho, a case that would exempt Idaho’s total abortion ban from the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Idaho has presented the Court with an argument that, if accepted, would dismantle critical patient protections in cases involving severe pregnancy complications.

Should the Supreme Court again strike down federal protections for patient health, House Bill 581 would ensure these protections remain in place in Illinois and would impose civil penalties on hospitals that refuse to provide lifesaving abortion procedures.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to advance.

* Center Square…

House Bill 4409 would add Illinois Department of Corrections representation to the Adult Redeploy Illinois oversight board, but it also changes the word “offender” to “justice-impacted individuals.” Republicans on the Senate floor said the name change could cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. […]

The ARI program, through community services as an alternative to prison, aims to reduce crime and recidivism at a lower cost to taxpayers. […]

[Sen. Steve McClure] asked [Sen. Robert Peters], the bill’s sponsor, if the bill also sought to change the word “victims.” McClure also asked what the term justice-impacted individual meant.

“That means someone who has been impacted by the criminal justice system and is an individual,” Peters said. “We [in this bill] don’t mess with anything in regards to the term ‘victim,’ we just change the word ‘offender’ to ‘justice-impacted individual.’” […]

The bill passed both the House and Senate and can be sent to the governor for further action.

Sen. Robert Peters…

As a crucial step toward fostering inclusivity and effectiveness, State Senator Robert Peters is leading legislation to expand representation and funding flexibility within the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board.

“This expansion marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote equity and effectiveness within the Adult Redeploy Illinois program,” said Peters (D-Chicago) “By diversifying the board and enhancing funding flexibility, the board can better address challenges faced within the ARI system.”

Under House Bill 4409, the ARI board would include representatives from the Department of Corrections, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Sangamon and Cook County Adult Probation departments, along with two members who have former, firsthand experience with the ARI system. This diversification of ARI’s board aims to ensure that all voices affected by the ARI process are heard, enhancing its ability to address systemic challenges and implement equitable solutions.

Furthermore, the legislation would increase flexibility in funding allocation through grant awards, enabling the board to swiftly adapt to emerging needs and support initiatives aimed at improving outcomes within the ARI framework.

House Bill 4409 passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads to the governor for further consideration.

* WBBM…

Concern is brewing in Illinois’ beer community over new legislation involving the production and sale of beverages that contain hemp-derived THC.

“The people who are already making these beverages and have already stepped into this space are completely shell shocked,” said Ray Stout, executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild.

Stout was talking to WBBM about Senate Bill 3926 and 0776 Senate Amendment 1. The two measures were proposed earlier this year and are part of an ongoing effort in Springfield to give the state more oversight over the creation of products that use THC derived from hemp. The proposals would, in part, make it illegal to make or sell THC-infused beverages without proper licenses. […]

Lightford’s measures would see hemp-derived THC products regulated in a way that’s similar to how the state already regulates cannabis. Leaving the current market unregulated, she added, would undermine “social equity license holders who have long worked to establish a legal, well-regulated business.”

* Sen. Rachel Ventura…

State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced an initiative through the House that would allow local government to apply for loans through the Illinois Finance Authority Climate Bank in an effort to expand clean energy infrastructure across Illinois.

“By offering low-rate loans to local government, the state will not only save taxpayers money in the long run, but also address and tackle the effects of climate change head on,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “We need every level of government to do their part and make drastic improvements to mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Senate Bill 3597 would allow units of local government to apply and obtain a loan from the Illinois Finance Authority Climate Bank to build, purchase, remodel or improve clean energy infrastructure.

Currently, units of local government borrow from the bond market, but by borrowing from the Climate Bank, they will receive a lower interest rate, saving all taxpayers money.

After the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed in 2021, cities in Illinois were allowed to borrow funds from the Climate Bank. In 2023, the first full year of IFA’s designation as the Climate Bank, it mobilized $256 million for climate finance purposes. To date, they have received $60 million in federal funding awards, with more anticipated. […]

Senate Bill 3597 passed the House on Tuesday and awaits further action.

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Vote YES On The Kinship In Demand (KIND) Act To Support Youth In DCFS Care

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session stuff (Updated)

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Vote YES On IHA’s MCO Prior Authorization Reforms To Benefit 3.6 Million Illinoisans

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Medicaid managed care came to Illinois with the promise of better healthcare for the state’s most vulnerable residents. Yet, 13 years later and countless preauthorization denials and delays by managed care organizations (MCOs), hospitals are urging legislators to fix egregious MCO practices that worsen patient health. Access to primary and preventive care is woefully lacking as MCOs manage their costs by denying needed medical services.

Nearly 30% of Illinois residents, 3.6 million people, have coverage through an MCO. They are adults, children, seniors and people with disabilities across the state. Every one of them should have access to the care they need, when they need it. Yet MCOs use complex and inconsistent prior authorization processes to deny and delay necessary healthcare, and deny reimbursement to healthcare providers.

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) has put together commonsense legislative reforms—with NO fiscal impact on the State’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget—to streamline access to patient care and improve health outcomes by eliminating inappropriate prior authorization practices.

These reforms address inpatient stabilization, standardization and transparency, and a “gold card” program for physicians and hospitals with historically high service authorization approvals. Learn more about IHA’s reform package and VOTE YES to support patients!

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

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort. Capitol News Illinois…

- In their statement, the Illinois Legislative Staff Association accused Welch of passing the bill “to deflect rising criticism” and feigning solidarity in public while privately colluding with Democratic Senate President Don Harmon to ensure the bill “went no further” once it passed the House.

- Welch’s office responded Tuesday saying the speaker’s “record is clear” on the staff unionization effort.

- The speaker’s office also pointed to nine specific areas of improvement for staffers within the speaker’s purview since Welch took power in 2021.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Bill calling for interest rate disclosures on small business loans dies in Illinois House: Known as SB2234, it had strong support by a large coalition of advocates representing more than 250,000 small businesses and it passed the state Senate on May 2 by a vote of 36-19. But on Monday, the House Financial Institutions Committee didn’t call the bill for a vote. The committee gave no explanation for its decision. A prior version of the bill also died in committee last year.

* Capitol News Illinois | Potawatomi land transfer advances in Illinois House: House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over what is now Shabbona Lake and State Park to the tribe for $1. It also allows the tribe and the Department of Natural Resources to enter into a land management agreement under which the land would remain open to the public for recreational use for an unspecified period.

* Crain’s | Craft brewers say new hemp rules could cut the industry’s lifeline: THC drinks: After watching sales of their new THC-infused beverages explode in recent months, Illinois’ craft beer makers are worried proposed regulation could zap their newfound revenue stream. The state’s craft beer industry struggled following the pandemic. Ten percent of the state’s breweries permanently closed throughout 2022 and 2023, as taproom traffic failed to return to pre-pandemic norms and consumer drinking habits shifted away from craft beer. Survivors began looking to THC-infused drinks as a lifeline.

* Center Square | Awareness campaign kicks off on Illinois law to provide plant-based meals: The law, which went into effect August 2023, requires schools receiving federal reimbursement for lunch meals to serve plant-based meals with prior request. Audrey Sanchez-Lawson, executive director of the public health advocacy group Balanced, said most parents are not aware of the law.

* WGLT | State employees union disputes IDOC plan to move Logan Correctional Center: AFSCME Council 31 issued a report Tuesday analyzing a joint proposal from the Illinois Department of Corrections [IDOC] and Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration that lays out a plan to rebuild both LCC, a medium-security women’s prison, and Stateville, a maximum security men’s prison, outside of Joliet. The union wrote in its report it supports the rebuild of both facilities — but on different terms than has been laid out by IDOC. In a recent report to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability [COGFA], the agency delineated plans to move LCC to the Stateville campus, leaving LCC open during the 3-5 year construction period, but closing Stateville in the interim.

*** Chicago ***

* WGN | Majority of Chicago alders support CTA chief’s ouster: Twenty-six of the city’s alders have signed on to a non-binding resolution calling on Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter to resign or for the mayor to fire him, as what began as a handful of leaders calling for his dismissal has grown to a majority. Ald. Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward plans to introduce the resolution at Wednesday’s meeting of the Chicago City Council as critics point out that Chicago trails several cities in post-pandemic ridership recovery, including Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Boston.

* Crain’s | City Council could take control over where pot shops open downtown: An ordinance introduced by Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, gives members of the City Council more control over pot shops in the downtown area by cutting the city’s quasi-judicial Zoning Board of Appeals out of the process and requiring the dispensaries to receive zoning approval from the City Council instead.

* Sun-Times | Mariachi Potosino gallery at Pilsen art museum honors the legacy of Chicago musicians: More than 20 years since the death of Mariachi Potosino founder José Cruz Alba, his legacy comes to life in an exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art — from his birthplace in Ignacio Allende, Durango, Mexico in 1918, to his life on the South Side of Chicago, where his love for music spread among the working-class immigrant communities searching for reminders of home in the bold brass, strings and vibrato of mariachi.

* Block Club | Butterfly Sculptures Landing Along Mag Mile, Across Chicago This Summer: Ten butterfly sculptures have spread their wings across the Magnificent Mile as part of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s latest citywide art project, The Flight of the Butterflies. For this initiative — which combines nature, art and storytelling — the nature museum is installing 29 larger-than-life butterfly sculptures across the city. Each is 6 feet tall and was designed by an artist from around the city.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan council to consider censuring alderman who posted severed-arm photo; ‘How could you do something like this?’: As Waukegan Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, remained silent at Monday’s City Council meeting about his recent social media post in which he included the picture of a woman’s arm recently found along the city’s beach, Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, had plenty to say. […] Florian successfully collected signatures of two other council members Monday in Waukegan to place a proposal to censure Turner’s behavior on the agenda of the next City Council meeting.

* Daily Herald | Suburban mayors ask state legislature to boost their share of income tax: Suburban mayors are calling on the Illinois General Assembly to restore the local share of state income tax to levels first agreed upon 55 years ago, before cuts began in 2011. The group of about 50 mayors gathered this week in Elmhurst, where they also urged that lawmakers be more sensitive to the impact of unfunded mandates, particularly while reducing state funding to municipalities and counties.

* Sun-Times | 2 more Cook County sheriff’s correctional officers accused of PPP fraud: Two Cook County sheriff’s correctional officers have been indicted on charges of defrauding the federal Paycheck Protection Program, bringing the total number of the county’s jail guards accused of ripping off the program to three. Officer John Williams received two PPP loans for $20,833 each from the fraud-plagued program created to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. On his application, he said he owned a barbershop. Kiara Brown also got two loans, for $20,000 and $19,790, for a nail salon and a beauty salon.

* Daily Herald | Elk Grove selling vacant site to builder of affordable senior housing: Village officials announced plans to sell the 1.2-acre lot at 750 S. Arlington Heights Road to the Housing Opportunity Development Corp., a Skokie-based nonprofit that is developer, owner and manager of affordable housing projects across the northern suburbs. […] The proposed two-story apartment building would contain about 30 units — mostly one-bedroom residences with some two-bedrooms.

*** National ***

* Politico | Hemp and marijuana go to war: A farm bill battle is pitting hemp against its closest cousin: marijuana. The fight centers on intoxicating hemp products, which have developed into a multi-billion-dollar industry subject to few rules and regulations. Some marijuana companies and trade groups are pushing Congress to close a loophole that allows the production and sale of intoxicating substances derived from legal hemp. The hemp industry has a very different ask for lawmakers: leave the federal definition of hemp unchanged.

* Quick Take | AI Chatbots Sucked Up Troves of Data. Now Copyright Holders Want a Cut: It turns out this vast trawling of mankind’s past endeavors doesn’t come for free. News organizations, novelists, music publishers and others whose copyrighted works were fed into the chatbots’ large language models as part of their training are demanding a share of the profits. Some have cut deals with ChatGPT’s owner, OpenAI, for using their work. Others are suing the company and other AI platform developers in US courts. The outcome will be a test of the “fair use” principle, which makes it possible — in certain circumstances — to use books, news stories, song lyrics and other copyrighted material without paying their creators.

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Live coverage

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel 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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