* I told subscribers about this provision last Friday. From Reform for Illinois…
At a time when we are increasingly alarmed by the concentration of money and power in the hands of a few, Reform for Illinois is disappointed that the Illinois General Assembly just took another step back from a fair and equitable political system.
As the holiday weekend began, lawmakers in both chambers voted to remove all caps on transfers from political party committees to candidates during primary elections. Previously, caps were only absent in general elections.
This change will allow party leaders to funnel unlimited funds to their favored primary candidates. It will further increase the leaders’ power and the power of big donors while undermining the ability of more independent contenders to win their party’s nomination.
The extensive omnibus bill that includes the change will now go to Governor Pritzker’s desk.
Under the current law, party transfers during primaries are not unlimited but are still exceptionally high — $200,000 for statewide races, $125,000 for state senate races, and $75,000 for state house races, along with limits for judicial, county, and local candidates. Removing even these high limits is a significant move that reflects party leaders’ intent to gain more control over primary elections – often the only meaningful contests in a state with many “safe” districts.
Incumbent Democratic State Senator Natalie Toro’s recent primary election may shed some light on the motivation for the change. Toro received more than $1.8 million from Senate President Harmon’s party committee, ISDF, during her primary campaign – but still lost to a progressive challenger, Graciela Guzman. Our analysis in the lead-up to the primary showed that Toro had received more than 69% of her campaign’s total fundraising from ISDF alone. This massive influx of party cash would not have been possible had the restrictions on party primary contributions been in place. Harmon’s ISDF committee was initially capped at contributing $125K to Toro’s primary campaign until another candidate’s self-funding removed all contribution limits in that race in December.
Most states impose limits on party contributions to candidates, with the federal government limiting them to $5,000. This leaves Illinois behind much of the country in providing for fair, equitably financed elections.
“Even Mike Madigan didn’t do this,” said Alisa Kaplan, executive director of Reform for Illinois. “It’s a step backward that will increase legislative leaders’ power over their members while supercharging the election money arms race and depriving constituents of the chance to be represented by more independent candidates.”
The recently passed bill also removes limits on donations by candidates to party committees during certain periods, allowing legislative leaders to further exploit the self-funding loophole and build slush funds to control their caucuses. Reform for Illinois has proposed several ways to address problems with the self-funding mechanism that fuels this system.
Madigan wouldn’t agree with reformers who wanted him to cap his general election contributions, but he did agree to the primary race cap.
Lifting the political party caps applies to legislative caucus committees. Both Democratic leaders are also Democratic township committeepersons.
The bill is here. The House concurred with the Senate amendment on Saturday.
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* Jason Meisner…
Lawyers for the ex-president of AT&T Illinois are seeking to bar key evidence in his upcoming bribery trial, arguing in a recent filing that prosecutors have failed to identify any conspiracy to “corruptly” influence then-House Speaker Michael Madigan to win passage of key legislation in Springfield.
Paul La Schiazza, 66, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in October 2022 with conspiracy, federal program bribery, and using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity. His trial is set to begin in September.
Earlier this month, prosecutors filed what is known as a Santiago proffer, detailing the statements of co-conspirators and other evidence they intend to use to prove that there was a scheme by La Schiazza and AT&T to secretly funnel money to a Madigan-connected ex-legislator to gain a competitive edge as the utility was seeking to pass a bill ending mandated landline service.
In their 13-page response filed Friday, lawyers for La Schiazza argued that the government’s proffer “is devoid of any evidence” showing La Schiazza or any other AT&T employee knew “that seeking to influence Mr. Madigan was forbidden,” as required by current Chicago-area case law.
* More from the La Schiazza response…
It is not enough that these individuals were referenced in the Indictment as playing some role in the charged events, particularly since their bona fide and legally permissible jobs were to further AT&T’s legislative agenda. The government must show knowledge of the illegal object of the conspiracy—which here requires a showing of “corruptly”—and that there was an agreement to advance further that illegal object… Doing something to develop or maintain a positive relationship with a politician or politically influential person is not a crime.
Currying favor with a politician or politically influential person is not a crime. Hiring a consultant recommended by a politician or politically influential person in order to build relationships or curry favor is not a crime. In this case, it is especially important for the Court to scrupulously police the lines between permissible—indeed, protected—political acts and those that cross the line into criminality. The government must show that Individuals ATT-1, -2 and -3 understood that they were acting improperly and outside the bounds of their bona fide duties in order to prove that they knowingly joined the charged conspiracy to corruptly influence Mr. Madigan. The Santiago proffer does not meet this burden.
Even if the government could meet its burden to show that ATT-1, -2 and -3 were members of the charged conspiracy, that does not mean any communication between these individuals is admissible under this Rule. Mere conversations between co-conspirators are not admissible under Rule 801(d)(2)(E). The statements must be being made in furtherance of the conspiracy.
* There’s more. Outline…
A. The Government Fails to Sufficiently Identify which Statements it Seeks to Admit under Rule 801(d)(2)(E).
B. The Government Fails to Proffer Evidence of Any Effort to “Corruptly” Influence Mr. Madigan.
C. The Government Fails to Proffer Evidence of Any Agreement by Mr. Madigan to Take Action Respecting the COLR Legislation in Exchange for AT&T Retaining Mr. Acevedo as a Consultant.
D. The Santiago Proffer Alleges a Materially Different Conspiracy than the One Charged in the Indictment.
E. Neither Intermediary 4 nor Mr. Acevedo are Alleged to be Co-Conspirators so Their Hearsay Statements are Inadmissible.
F. If this Court Does Not Deny the Santiago Proffer Outright, it Should Defer Ruling on the Admissibility of Alleged Co-Conspirator Statements until the Time of Trial.
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OPPOSE The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act!
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The proposed Illinois budget deal contains a cap on the merchant discount fee that reimburses retailers for remitting sales tax revenue to the State, a change that only affects retailers generating over $11 million per year in sales. That’s less than 1% of business in Illinois.
In exchange for this provision, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association solidified a deal that would create a major disruption in the electronic payments system. The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act would prohibit interchange from being charged on the sales tax or gratuity portion of a receipt.
This new Act, contained in HB 4951 has NO revenue impact on the State, and would have major impact on card processing in Illinois. The impact threatens consumer privacy, increases expense to all parties to electronic transactions, and will be detrimental small businesses and online retailers doing business in Illinois.
Simply put, the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act is bad public policy – which is why the proposal has been rejected each time it has come up in other states. STOP efforts to disrupt the current interchange system. REMOVE the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act from HB 4951!
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Click here for session updates throughout the day.
* Tribune…
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said he passed on putting a measure to extend a moratorium on public school closings in Chicago to a vote because he accepted Mayor Brandon Johnson’s promise not to shut down any schools or deplete funding for selective enrollment schools.
“The mayor has always been emphatically clear with me that he does not intend to close schools, he does not intend to under-resource schools, he does not intend to undermine the selective enrollment schools,” said Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat. “I think his commitment to me is even more clear and more binding than the bill would have been.”
“This is a business based on trust and in my view the mayor promised more than the bill did,” Harmon said after the Senate adjourned until the fall early Sunday.
The legislation to extend by two years, to 2027, an existing moratorium on shutting down Chicago Public Schools buildings had breezed through the House in a 92-8 vote and also was passed by a Senate committee before Harmon put the kibosh on it.
* SJ-R early this month…
Development at the Y-Block could be coming soon, Gov. JB Pritzker hinted at a Citizens Club of Springfield event Thursday night.
Plans have varied for the former home of the YWCA due north of the Governor’s Mansion since its 2017 razing.
During a request for proposals that year, former Mayor Jim Langfelder picked a proposal by the North Mansion Y-Block Development Group, with $1 million of personal backing from former Gov. Bruce Rauner, to put a park and cafe on the site. Progress has, however, since stalled.
Now under a new governor and Mayor Misty Buscher, Pritzker said the state and the city of Springfield are still discussing how to use the space between Fourth and Fifth Streets on Capitol Avenue. […]
In recent summers, the 2.25 acre lot owned by the city has been used for varying events such as the Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series. A new development, Pritzker added during the discussion at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, should maintain openness to the public and be active year-round.
Brenden Moore…
* House Democratic Women’s caucus…
As discussions around proposals for men’s professional sports teams continue passed the spring session, members of the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus joined together today to address House Bill 5841 that highlights inequities in the women’s professional sports industry in Illinois. The recently filed HB 5841, sponsored by Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, is designed to enhance inclusivity and ensure equitable support for both men’s and women’s sports, aligning with the state’s broader equity goals.
“This spring, we have heard a number of costly requests from some of the most successful and celebrated men’s sports franchises in our state, while women’s teams do not yet even have a seat at the table with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. House Bill 5841 will ensure that as we consider plans from men’s teams, we provide the same consideration to women’s teams. Many of us do not support public financing of professional team facilities, but we believe strongly that any discussions with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority must be done so equitably with women’s teams a part of those conversations.
“We are at a watershed moment for women’s professional sports, and our approach must rise to meet the momentum of the many talented women athletes who have captured the nation’s attention. This bill is only a start in the effort to address the many inequities that women’s teams have faced for far too long. Four years ago, many of us helped legalize sports betting in Illinois, but none of us expected to usher in an industry that was so glaringly inequitable. With tens of millions of dollars being spent on men’s professional teams by sports betting companies, not one has partnered with a women’s professional team in our state. It’s time to give women’s teams equal opportunity to achieve the level of success that athletes have clearly earned.”
House Bill 5841 amends the Commission on Equity and Inclusion Act and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act. Key changes include:
- Equity in funding. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority must collaborate with the Commission’s Executive Director on Equity and Inclusion to evaluate and propose policies promoting equity in sports facilities’ decision-making and funding.
- Bonds for women’s sports. If bonds are issued for men’s professional sports facilities, a corresponding issuance must support women’s professional sports facilities. If no immediate project exists for women’s sports, the funds will be reserved until a suitable project arises.
- Reporting requirements. The Commission on Equity and Inclusion must prepare and submit reports to the General Assembly every five years, starting January 1, 2026, evaluating whether the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has met equity goals concerning fund use and management.
Prohibition of discrimination based on sex. - The legislation ensures that no person can be denied participation or benefits in activities at facilities funded under the Act based on gender.
The bill did not make it out of the House Rules committee.
* Block Club Chicago…
For three critical hours after four students were shot, two fatally, at Benito Juarez High School, the school principal and some staffers threw up roadblocks to the police investigation and weeks later had to be threatened with grand jury subpoenas to spur their cooperation, the Illinois Answers Project has learned.
Detectives on the scene of the mass shooting that happened just before Christmas 2022 quickly learned the four victims and the suspected shooter were all current or former CPS students and asked to view school surveillance video, to interview a student witness who’d given information to school officials and sought access to other records relating to the students involved.
But at most every turn, according to public documents and police sources, school principal Juan Carlos Ocon and other administrators told detectives that cooperating would violate CPS policy, and they insisted on checking with their legal department.
The delays — which have never been previously reported — cost investigators invaluable time to interview witnesses and gather physical evidence, law enforcement sources said. Police arrested a 16-year-old about eight weeks later in connection with the mass shooting after they saw him leaving a stolen car with a rifle. But between the slayings at Juarez and his arrest, he is suspected of taking part in another shooting, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty in the Juarez shooting, and his defense attorney pointed to the delay in his arrest to question the strength of the case. Illinois Answers is not naming the teen since he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting.
*** Statewide ***
* Bloomberg | Grad Photo Company Can’t Arbitrate Student’s Illinois BIPA Suit: A commencement photography company didn’t have a valid arbitration agreement to enforce against an Illinois university graduate alleging violations of the state’s biometric info law, a federal judge ruled. Joshua Gaertner brought a proposed class action under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act alleging that he was never informed that Balfour & Co., through GradImages, would collect or use his biometrics to sell him photos from his Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduation. Balfour sought arbitration in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois based on a browsewrap agreement that Gaertner argued wasn’t conspicuous.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | New O’Hare satellite concourse renderings show rebuild plan, but questions remain: The announcement shows growing momentum on the long-awaited rebuild, which calls for replacing Terminal 2 with a new Global Terminal and adding two satellite concourses. But many questions remain about the timeline, cost and design of the delayed expansion project. “This is a once in a generation expansion, the modernization of O’Hare,” Johnson said at a news conference. “Investing in our airports is an investment in all of our communities.”
* Sun-Times | 5-year-old girl fatally shot on Near West Side loved dancing, gymnastics: Reign Ware was always dancing across the floor. It didn’t matter to the 5-year-old whether it was the living room at home or at her aunt’s birthday party — even birthday cake couldn’t deter the “TikTok queen,” as her mother, Raven Adams, called her. She would tumble like a gymnast wherever she could. Adams had planned to enroll her daughter in gymnastics classes, but was waiting until she “got bigger” so she wouldn’t get hurt.
* Sun-Times | Chicago photographer, new book capture stunning images of the city from the sky: For Terry Maday, Chicago offers not only incredible restaurants and museums, but also amazing views. The award-winning Evanston native has been in the videography business for nearly 30 years. For his most recent project, he sought to capture the Windy City in ways that couldn’t be achieved from down on the ground. Maday, 56, is one of 15 photographers featured in “Above and Across Chicago,” a new book from Trope Publishing with a collection of photographs taken from helicopters, atop skyscrapers and with drones.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Shaw Local | Kane County considers pay raises for elected officials: Under the proposal, the county board chairman ‒ be it current chairman Corinne Pierog or her opponent, Lance Bell ‒ would be paid $130,000, 23% more than the current paycheck. But the pay for county board members would stay the same, at $25,000 a year.
* Crain’s | Following sale of Oak Park hospital, staff report quality, safety issues: Six medical residents who talked to Crain’s said West Suburban is often lacking necessary supplies and equipment to care for patients. They also said the hospital is chronically understaffed, sometimes missing essential hospital staff like X-ray technicians, phlebotomy workers and even surgeons. A shortage of staff, especially on the weekends, is sometimes extending the length of patient stays at the hospital, according to the residents. The hospital’s CEO, while acknowledging some complaints, has pushed back against most of the residents’ claims.
* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan alderman gives up liquor license to avoid conflict of interest; ‘They should change the law’: Guzman, 47, bought the business in 2014 and got a liquor license six years later to sell beer and margaritas to go with the hotdogs, hamburgers, Italian beef and chicken sandwiches. Elected to the City Council just over a year ago, Guzman began recusing himself from the proceedings anytime an issue related to liquor licensing was before the legislative body. But, earlier this year, he learned that was not necessarily enough, and that according to state law he may not be able to continue on the council while holding his liquor license.
*** Downstate ***
* Illinois Times | Frito-Lay distribution center slated to be built in Springfield: A distribution center employing 150 to 200 full-time workers at a warehouse the size of almost four football fields would be built along Interstate 55 near the Chatham exit, based on a proposal Springfield zoning officials will consider June 20. Local economic development officials told Illinois Times they don’t yet know who would operate the site, which, based on industry estimates, could cost between $30 million and $51 million to build.
*** National ***
* ABC News | DNC to nominate Biden and Harris to bypass Ohio ballot issues: The Democratic National Committee will move to conduct virtual party proceedings to certify President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominees before Ohio’s Aug. 7 ballot certification deadline, and before their in-person convention beginning Aug. 19, the party confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday. This will take a big moment away from Biden and the party — the official nomination at convention is typically met with fanfare and celebration, but he will become the official nominee virtually, without the pomp and circumstance.
* AP | 25 are dead across the US after weekend tornadoes. Texas is getting battered again: Strong storms with damaging winds and baseball-sized hail pummeled north Texas on Tuesday as much of the U.S. recovered from severe weather, including tornadoes, that killed at least 25 people during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Widespread power outages were reported in the region, which includes Dallas and Fort Worth, where an oppressive, early-season heat wave added to the misery. About 800,000 customers lacked electricity Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.us.
* NYT | Who Plotted to Sell Graceland? An Identity Thief Raises His Hand: The writer said he was an identity thief — a ring leader on the dark web, with a network of “worms” placed throughout the United States. In an email to The New York Times, he said his ring preyed on the dead, the unsuspecting and the elderly, especially those from Florida and California, using birth certificates and other documents to discover personal information that aided in their schemes. “We figure out how to steal,” he said. “That’s what we do.”
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A quick explainer
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate Bill 251, the operating and capital appropriations bill, was passed by the Senate on Sunday, May 26.
The House was in perfunctory session on Sunday so it could receive the day’s Senate-passed bills and read them into the record. That means SB251 had its First Reading that day.
The House returns today. The approp bill will be read into the record a second time. The expectation is that the House will remain in session until after midnight, which would mean the chamber could then pass the bill on Third Reading and adjourn.
Anyway, carry on.
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* Crain’s…
As Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers search for ways to shore up the state’s budget as federal COVID dollars dissipate, they targeted the sports betting tax. Though Pritzker’s initial proposal would have hiked the tax from 15% to 35%, lawmakers subbed the flat tax for a tiered structure they contend would make more than the governor’s original $200 million revenue goal. […]
In a statement this weekend, Sports Betting Alliance President Jeremy Kudon called the Illinois Senate’s move [to pass the bill] “extremely disappointing.”
“This tax hike will mean worse products, worse promotions, and inevitably, worse odds for Illinois customers — not to mention provide a massive leg up to dangerous, unregulated and illegal offshore sportsbooks who pay no taxes and adhere to none of Illinois’ sports betting regulations,” Kudon said, threatening to pull sportsbooks out of the state. “Sportsbooks across the industry will have no choice but to re-evaluate their level of investment and participation in the state should this become law.”
* As I write this, DraftKings stock price is down about 11 percent. Flutter Entertainment, which owns FanDuel, is down almost 7 percent.
* Casino.org…
In a report to clients today, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli said the Illinois tax hike isn’t “overly draconian for the operators, and of little consequence to the majority of the operators in the state.”
However, he cautioned that other cash-strapped states could be inspired by the move in Illinois and be compelled to boost their own sports wagering taxes. The analyst observed that owing to currently accommodative rates, Michigan and New Jersey could eventually implement “punitive” increases to their sports betting levies. […]
In report out Tuesday, Morgan Stanley said DraftKings and Flutter can trim marketing and promotional spending in Illinois to offset some of the headwinds caused by the elevated tax while adding the new policy creates an overhang for the operators. […]
Oppenheimer analyst Jed Kelly told clients the two operators [FanDuel and DraftKings] could leverage rising taxes to advance consolidation, adding that unfavorable legislative outcomes are buying opportunities in DraftKings. He rates the stock “outperform” with a $60 price target, implying upside of 71.8% from current levels.
* Yahoo! Finance reiterates the spread to other states worry…
Well, the thought here from analysts is that the potential here for other states to follow suit… That is really the primary concern of analysts, of investors.
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It’s almost a law
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Pantagraph…
Legislation that creates a state regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage projects, plus a moratorium on pipeline construction, is now headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.
The bill cleared the Illinois House with a 78-29 vote Saturday, received the OK from the Illinois Senate on a 43-12-2 roll call on Sunday and now only needs Pritzker’s signature to become law.
The governor, in a statement Sunday evening, said he looked forward to signing the legislation “as soon as possible.”
Its passage builds on the state’s existing energy laws, he said, “by setting nation-leading safety and environmental standards around carbon capture and sequestration while bringing thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in investment to Illinois.”
* WCIA…
A bill is heading to Governor Pritzker’s desk that would protect people from retaliation by their landlords. But not everyone is on board with it.
The Landlord Retaliation Act would prohibit landlords from knowingly terminating or refusing to renew a lease, increasing rent, decreasing service or threatening a lawsuit after tenants seek assistance to ensure their housing is safe and habitable. Protected actions by the tenant include:
- Making a requests for repairs
- Making a complaint of code violations
- Organizing a union or being a member of one
- Testifying in an official proceeding
- Seeking assistance from elected officials
- Exercising any other right provided by law
“With fear of retaliation, tenants would rather stay in inadequate living conditions than speak up – this cannot continue,” said State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate. “Tenants spend their hard earned money on rent. At minimum, they should be confident when taking actions to ensure that their home is properly maintained.”
“These unjust methods of retaliation lead to housing instability, financial insecurity and ultimately homelessness which further harms our communities,” Villa added. “It is the responsibility of landlords to maintain a property and we must protect tenants who are simply holding their landlords accountable.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
In the final days of their spring legislative session, Democrats in the General Assembly advanced measures aimed at expanding and protecting aspects of maternal and women’s health care.
If signed into law, the measures would expand insurance coverage of pregnancy and postpartum services, maintain abortion as a viable treatment option for women experiencing certain emergencies, and regulate how providers and authorities can keep and use abortion patient data.
Proponents claim House Bill 5142 will improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes by providing coverage for pregnancy and postpartum support services – like doulas, midwives, home births, lactation consultants, breastfeeding supplies and more. […]
The Senate approved the bill along party lines Thursday, 40-19, sending it back to the House, where it passed 70-35 on Saturday.
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
State Senator Celina Villanueva passed a measure to preserve lifesaving reproductive health care as anti-choice action threatens to infringe on people’s rights.
“It is imperative that Illinois continues to shield itself against these persistent anti-choice attacks,” said Villanueva (D – Chicago). “This pending Supreme Court ruling threatens access to vital life-saving care for women throughout Illinois and beyond by limiting medically necessary services.”
House Bill 581 would protect Illinois patients from another likely Supreme Court rollback of reproductive rights by ensuring Illinois hospitals must provide any medically necessary services—including abortion services—to stabilize a patient at risk of severe injury or death.
While this is currently federal law, the Supreme Court’s anti-choice majority is expected to rule as early as this June in Moyle v. Idaho. This case questions whether Idaho’s total abortion ban is exempt from the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Idaho has argued that it should be exempt, an argument that, if upheld, could undermine critical patient protections in cases of severe pregnancy complications. If the Supreme Court again strikes down federal protections for patient health, House Bill 681 would ensure these protections remain in place in Illinois and would impose civil penalties on hospitals that refuse to provide lifesaving abortion procedures.
“I am committed to maintaining and reinforcing the measures that ensure the well-being and inalienable rights of women in Illinois,” said Villanueva. “The delicate process of bringing life into this world is already unpredictable. We must safeguard the legal protections to offer lifesaving emergency services.”
House Bill 581 passed the Senate Sunday and heads to the governor’s desk for further consideration.
* News Nation Now…
Illinois could soon join a handful of states with digital IDs and driver’s licenses.
House Bill 4592, introduced by Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), passed by a unanimous vote in the state senate Friday. The bill cleared the state House of Representatives earlier this week and now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature.
The legislation would not eliminate physical driver’s licenses but would allow the state to offer them as a companion to a physical card.
Several states, including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, and Utah already have digital IDs.
* Southland Journal…
The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation to protect workers from unwanted or offensive political and religious speech unrelated to job performance. If signed, Illinois would be the 8th state to enact legislation with these protections. The bill had the support of a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Illinois AFL-CIO, Chicago Federation of Labor, Equality Illinois, Planned Parenthood, Citizen Action, Women Employed, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, and Raise the Floor Alliance.
“Captive audience meetings are a direct violation of workers’ rights. They force our most vulnerable employees to choose between their job and personal values,” stated Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “Employers are increasingly using the workplace to advance their political and religious interests, and this creates an atmosphere ripe for coercion. The Worker Freedom of Speech Act ensures that workers are protected when choose to walk away from these meetings.”
The Worker Freedom of Speech Act is designed to prohibit employers from threatening, disciplining, firing, or otherwise retaliating against workers who refuse to attend mandatory workplace meetings focused on communicating opinions on political or religious matters. It will not prevent employers from holding meetings, only protect workers who choose not to engage in matters unrelated to their work.
“The Illinois General Assembly did the right thing today by taking a stand to protect workers from captive audience meetings,” remarked Cherita Ellens, President and CEO of Women Employed. “Coercive speech causes particular harm for groups of workers who are already vulnerable to discrimination and unfair treatment at work—including Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disabled workers. Today’s passage of the Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act lets working people know that they are valued, and that Illinois will not tolerate employer abuses.”
* It’s just a bill. Capitol News Illinois…
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is a step closer to acquiring a 1,500-acre state park in DeKalb County, much of which was once part of a reservation that was illegally seized from the tribe in the mid-19 th century.
As the Senate worked through its last stack of bills Sunday before planning to adjourn for the summer, it voted 49-7 to pass Senate Bill 867, which authorizes deeding the property to the tribe for $1.
“Rarely do we get to make amends for the sins of our collective past,” Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, the bill’s chief sponsor, said on the Senate floor. “As you might expect, this bill is to repair the 150 years we have suffered with a moral wound.”
The Prairie Band Potawatomi were originally granted a reservation of roughly two square miles – about 1,280 acres – in the 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. But around 1849, Chief Shab-eh-nay traveled west to northeast Kansas, where many other members of the tribe had relocated. While he was gone, the federal government declared the reservation land abandoned and sold it at public auction.
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Open thread
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Senate Democrats send $53.1B spending plan to House. Capitol News Illinois…
Two days after the General Assembly was scheduled to adjourn its spring session, Democrats in the Illinois Senate advanced a $53.1 billion budget to the House Sunday night, where leaders expect it to pass without changes.
The fiscal year 2025 spending plan, which came together over a stretch of late nights and closed-door dealmaking, spends $400 million more than what Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in his February budget address.
Despite controlling the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the legislature, Democrats had a rocky time coming to an agreement, as evidenced during floor debate of the bill. In a rare move, a few Democrats publicly aired their disappointment with their party’s budget priorities before ultimately voting for it, while a pair of Democrats quietly voted no. […]
The budget, which is set to take effect on July 1, would increase spending by 5 percent from last year’s enacted budget, but just 1.6 percent when factoring in supplemental spending for the current year. It also reduced spending in several areas from Pritzker’s February budget proposal by a total of about $73 million, according to Sims, although Democrats did not provide a list of the cuts.
The spending plan directs a $350 million increase for K-12 education and full funding for year two of Pritzker’s “Smart Start” plan aimed at adding 5,000 preschool seats across the state and providing workforce grants. The plan would send $198 million to the state’s “rainy day” fund and make the full pension payment required by law.
* Related stories…
* Sen. Elgie Sims…
Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget:
“In keeping with our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility, we have approved a budget that is balanced, responsible and invests in people in all corners of our state.
“As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I set a goal that our budget would serve the best interests of the people of Illinois. By promoting economic growth, supporting education, ensuring public safety and enhancing the overall well-being of our communities, we will build a stronger, more prosperous and more equitable future for all residents of our great state.
“This budget reflects our shared values and our commitment to making Illinois a better place to live, work and raise a family. I am proud to have led a stable budget that addresses our current needs.”
Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
The Fiscal Year 2025 budget builds upon the responsible spending decisions the state has made and balanced budgets we have passed in recent years, bringing forth a budget and other legislation that prioritizes education, public safety, economic development, social service, local governments and more.
Highlights
Fiscal Responsibility – 6th balanced budget
This budget builds on five years of historic fiscal progress with balanced budgets, nine credit rating upgrades, the elimination of the bill backlog, and more.
Alongside the smart spending decisions of the previous fiscal years, the budget continues to pay down our bills, invest more money into retirees through fully funding pensions, and save for the future.
Early Childhood Education
$14 million to launch the Department of Early Childhood – a new agency to focus on administering early childhood education programs
An additional $75 million will be sent to the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant – putting in place 5,000 more slots in preschool deserts
$36.5 million to support higher participation in the Child Care Assistance Program
K-12 Education
Continues the commitment of a $350 million increase toward the evidence-based funding model for K-12 education
The state will topple $2 billion toward the evidence-based funding model since its inception with this investment
$10.3 million increase for Career and Technical Education programs
$3 million for State Literacy Plan Implementation – a roadmap to enhance and unify core literacy instruction efforts statewide
$45 million for the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program
Higher Education
$700 million for Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding
In Fiscal Year 2025, a projected 146,000 students could benefit from MAP Grants – up from 126,864 in 2019
$8 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship Program
Violence Prevention and Public Safety
Funding to hire and train 200 new state troopers – a total of two new cadet classes
$200 million to the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) program
$45 million to build up the Reimagine Public Safety grant program
$200 million to enhance after-school and summer youth programs
Health and Human Services
$290 million for HOME Illinois
$2.4 billion for services for people with developmental disabilities, including a $1 per hour wage increase for Direct Support Professionals
$155 million for safety net hospitals
$50 million for a child tax credit for eligible low-income families with EITC
*** Statehouse News ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Prairie Band Potawatomi land deal clears Senate, will head back to House: The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is a step closer to acquiring a 1,500-acre state park in DeKalb County, much of which was once part of a reservation that was illegally seized from the tribe in the mid-19 th century. As the Senate worked through its last stack of bills Sunday before planning to adjourn for the summer, it voted 49-7 to pass Senate Bill 867, which authorizes deeding the property to the tribe for $1.
* Center Square | Illinois changing ‘unlawful use’ to ‘unlawful possession’ of gun charges: In January, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, filed House Bill 4500 to change various firearm possession charges to get away from being labeled unlawful use of a firearm charges. He argued in a committee earlier this year that some of those who are charged and convicted with being illegally in possession of a firearm but not using it in the commission of another crime were charged with unlawful use which carries a negative stigma.
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues clashing with Illinois Senate over parole board: Over opposition from the governor’s office, Senate Democrats, joined by their Republican colleagues, voted without opposition late Sunday to codify a series of changes to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, a body that has been a source of long-running bipartisan tension between the legislative chamber and the Pritzker administration. The discord, which began two years ago when the Senate rejected some of Pritzker’s appointments to the board, most recently flared earlier this spring after the panel released 37-year-old parolee Crosetti Brand. After his release, he was charged with killing 11-year-old Jayden Perkins and attacking the child’s mother, with whom he once had a relationship.
* Pantagraph | Illinois carbon capture rules head to Pritzker: The bill cleared the Illinois House with a 78-29 vote Saturday, received the OK from the Illinois Senate on a 43-12-2 roll call on Sunday and now only needs Pritzker’s signature to become law. The governor, in a statement Sunday evening, said he looked forward to signing the legislation “as soon as possible.”
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | CTA could provide up to 250 buses for use during the DNC. Will that leave enough for regular bus service?: The head of the union that represents bus drivers says he anticipates having enough staffing for both the DNC and regular scheduled bus service. But designating buses for the convention has some advocates concerned. “Pulling CTA operators from their regular routes to a specified task that doesn’t serve all of Chicago is of tremendous concern,” said Kyle Lucas, with the transportation advocacy group Better Streets Chicago. “And what will service look like for everyday people during that time?”
* Tribune | Chicago’s first school board elections are less than 6 months away. Here’s what to know on the possible outcomes for schools: “Whether it’s elections for the mayor or whether it’s for school boards, it’s really about different adult interests that up at the ballot box,” said Vladimir Kogan, a political science professor at Ohio State University who studies education policy. “Very little is usually fundamentally at the end of day about the kids and what’s good for student learning.” However, research has shown that holding school board elections in on-cycle years — as Chicago will — can equate to more accountability for board members and result in a wider net of people voting for those who will control public schools.
* AP | Man convicted of Chicago murder based on blind witness’ testimony sues city, police: A judge convicted Darien Harris in 2014 in connection with a fatal shooting at a South Side gas station in 2011. He was 12 years into a 76-year prison sentence when he was freed in December after The Exoneration Project showed that the eyewitness had advanced glaucoma and lied about his eyesight issues. Harris was 30 years old when he went free. Harris filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in April alleging police fabricated evidence and coerced witnesses into making false statements, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday. He told the newspaper that he is still struggling to put his life back together.
* WBEZ | Chicago summer forecast: less extreme heat, not as much wildfire smoke as last year but muggier:
“Because we have had such a wet spring across much of the region, I wouldn’t expect a summer with a large number of extremely hot days,” says Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist. “But the abundant moisture in the ground can make for some very humid conditions this summer, which can exacerbate heat stress. So the outlook right now is for a warm — likely muggy — and stormy summer across the Midwest.”
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | 2 ex-jail officials say they were fired after claiming they were coerced into political work for Sheriff Tom Dart: Drake Carpenter and Aracelis Gotay were suspended without pay in March of 2022 amid a federal investigation into whether some employees in the sheriff’s office were illegally working second jobs. Two other administrators also were suspended and more than a dozen lower-ranking officers were transferred. But after nearly two years without a paycheck and no indication from the sheriff’s office on exactly why they were suspended, Gotay and Carpenter sued the sheriff this past December.
* Daily Herald | Diamond in the rough or money pit? Metra board chagrined at costs of warehouse ‘fiasco’: Metra bought the large property at 17100 S. Halsted St. for about $7 million in October 2020. The price seemed right, the location near I-80 and I-294 was appealing, and a centralized warehouse could cut delivery times and costs with bulk purchasing, officials thought. A few months into the purchase, heavy snow caused some warehouse walls to separate from the roof and it turned out the site had drainage issues. Currently, there are concerns the floor can’t support the weight of Metra’s heaviest items, the site needs to be rezoned, and the city won’t allow outdoor storage, staff said.
*** Downstate ***
* Daily-Journal | Gotion buys 231 acres for targeted expansions, power plant: The land, about 231 acres split between two parcels, was acquired by limited liability companies related to Gotion, and it will allow the China-based company to build out its power plant for future use. “They need to get power to the plant, and there are huge power lines that run about a mile west of their facility,” said Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent. “They need to be able to get right-of-way access to those power lines, so they have purchased the property between the facility and those power lines.”
* WAND | Federal grand jury issues subpoena in investigation of former Paris 95 Superintendent: The day after the FBI raid, ISBE informed Superintendent Larson and the District it was investigating misspent COVID funds. Days later Larson was put on paid administrative leave, and by the end of the year he left the District. ISBE worked with the District on a corrective plan to re-pay the almost $1.6 million.
* WSIL | NWS Preliminary Results: EF-3 Tornado Hits Southern Illinois: An EF-3 tornado hit Johnson County on Sunday, according to preliminary results from the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS sent out a survey crew to southern Illinois on Monday morning. There they investigated the area and found evidence which they feel supports the EF-3 tornado status.
* Shaw Local | Aging veterans appeal for help with future Memorial Days: Each May, Dennis Znaniecki calls for residents of the Illinois Valley to commemorate the dead. People respond generously. At Memorial Day 2024, however, Znaniecki called for future volunteers, too. Znaniecki, commander of the Peru Veterans Memorial Group, said Monday it’s getting harder for he and the aging corps of veterans to handle the yearly observances and to ensure Memorial Day is solemnly observed for generations to come.
*** Sports ***
* Sun-Times | Bill Walton: A free spirit who blazed his own trail in life, basketball : Bill Walton died of cancer Monday at 71, and it seems a gust of fresh air just left the room. Walton was a different dude. He was an ageless, gentle hippie, torn from the start by his love of basketball and by his desire to be free of the artificiality and constraints of modern life. By his own account, he had attended more than 1,000 Grateful Dead concerts. The community Deadheads create in the midst of the jam — always with the memory of deceased leader Jerry Garcia afloat — is something that binds them together in a brotherhood of ecstasy.
* Tribune | Illinois baseball is seeded 3rd in Lexington Regional, while Tennessee earns No. 1 national seed in NCAA Tournament: Tennessee, the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament champion and the consensus No. 1 team in the country for a month, was awarded the top national seed for the NCAA Tournament on Monday. The 64-team tournament opens Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Winners advance to eight best-of-three super regionals. Those winners move on to the College World Series beginning June 14 in Omaha, Neb.
*** National ***
* Bond Buyer | From politics to disclosure to funding, issuers are navigating a tough climate: With a myriad of challenges facing state and local governments to fund vast infrastructure needs amid a shifting climate and severe weather events, there are government officials across the country that have begun to address them head on. Paying for them is one of the biggest challenges.
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*** 2024 end of session cheat sheet ***
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Waiting on House concurrence
* Cannabis omnibus - HB2911
* Hemp Consumer Products Act - HB4293
* Prisoner Review Board reform - HB681 SFA5
In second chamber
* Repeals sub-minimum wage for persons with disabilities - HB793 (Senate First Reading)
* Family Amusement Wagering Prohibition Act - SB327, House Amendment 1
Passed both chambers
* Revenue omnibus - HB4951, SA2, SA3, SA4, SA5
* FY25 Approp bill - SB251, SA3
* BIMP - HB4959 SA2
* Use Tax Act Omnibus (Eliminates grocery tax) - HB3144, SA2, SA3
* Bonding Authority - HB4582, SA1
* Healthcare Protection Act - HB5395
* Short Term Insurance Ban - HB2499
* Birth equity - HB5142
* Election omnibus - HB4488
* Worker Freedom of Speech Act - SB3649
* Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) - SB1289
* Medicaid Omnibus - SB3268, HFA2
* Procurement omnibus - HB5511
* Prevents hospital patient abuse - HB3521
* Tax incentives, credits - HB5005
* Medical Debt Relief Act - HB5290
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Live coverage
Tuesday, May 28, 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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