* Jon Seidel…

FWIW, the Supreme Court did NOT hand down this opinion today. Now the feds have until the end of the day to offer their thoughts on whether Ed Burke's sentencing should be delayed.

Then we wait to see what Judge Kendall has to say. https://t.co/QyGqX24Oj5

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) June 20, 2024

* Tribune…

Three charter school organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, alleging a 2023 amendment to the Illinois School Code interferes with federal labor law and the charter school operators’ free speech and property rights, according to the complaint.

The amendment, which requires charter school operators to include a “union neutrality clause” in new proposals and renewal agreements should be declared “invalid,” plaintiffs Intrinsic Schools, Montessori School of Englewood and advocacy group the Illinois Network of Charter Schools allege in the complaint. The group of charter operators and advocates are asking the court to bar the state statute from being enforced.

Effective immediately upon its signing last year, the amendment to the School Code defines a union neutrality clause as including an agreement not to express anti-union positions, nor “threaten, intimidate, discriminate against, retaliate against, or take any adverse action” against employees based on union representation.The statute also mandates that charter schools provide labor organizations access to employees, to discuss their right to union representation, and it sets forth a union recognition process.

The complaint was spurred by a draft renewal document that Chicago Public Schools sent all charter schools, requiring they comply with the terms of the amendment, said Andrew Broy, president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. “We’re making sure that that does not apply – and there’s still a process through which teachers at a school can join a union,” he said.

* Mercy…

Lack of concentration that’s #WhiteSox baseball pic.twitter.com/ytsmHWJtFm

— Herb Lawrence (@Ecnerwal23) June 20, 2024

*** Statehouse News ***

* Eye On Illinois | Conservation districts feel budget cuts while fairgrounds get big investment: In the context of a $53.1 billion state budget, $4 million isn’t especially significant, about 0.075%. But compared with only $58.1 million for a specific project, that $4 million is a larger chunk – about 6.9%. The $4 million is what Michael Woods, executive director for the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts, said was cut from conservation efforts in the fiscal 2025 budget, according to a June 10 FarmProgress.com report.

*** Statewide ***

* Axios | Illinois top abortion destination for Tennesseans: Tennessee residents obtained 10,570 out-of-state abortions, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute. Illinois led the way with 7,120 followed by North Carolina with 1,280.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Johnson announces $10 million expansion of fund for victims of gun violence and their grieving families: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot established the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund to compensate grief-sticken families at a time when Chicago homicides were topping 700 for the second straight year. […] Lightfoot lost her reelection bid before she could deliver on her promise to expand the program. Now Johnson is picking up the ball and running with it.

* Tribune | Chicago to expand pilot that pays $1,500 for funerals of homicide victims, $1,000 stipends for survivors: Under the expansion, the Emergency Supplemental Victims Fund will see another $6.4 million — some of that from federal COVID-19 stimulus dollars — over the next two years and expand from five to 15 community areas. There are three categories of funds: $1,000 for basic needs such as medical expenses, child care and groceries; $1,000 for relocation services to move to a safer place; and $1,500 for funeral and burial expenses.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago’s school board election is coming up. Here’s what happens if a district has no candidates.: The most likely answer is that a write-in candidate would win the seat — potentially with just one vote, said Max Bever, a spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Elections. Until 2027, the new board will have 10 elected seats and another 11 seats appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson. Each district is split into two subdistricts; Johnson must fill his seats with people who live in each subdistrict that does not have a winner from the election.

* Sun-Times | CPS to rename 3 schools, including one named after Christopher Columbus: Three Chicago public schools are being renamed in the latest changes aimed at getting rid of racist or otherwise problematic namesakes. They make nine schools that have been renamed since a Chicago Sun-Times investigation in 2020 found 30 schools were named for slaveholders, and schools named after white people — mostly men — outnumbered those named for African Americans by 4-1, Latinos 9-1 and indigenous people 120-1.

* Sun-Times | Owners of West Town pallet firm assess damage after massive fire: ‘Looked like a war scene’: A business that rents space on the lot called Quinn Hagan when workers noticed the fire. He wasn’t in the city, but by the time he got to the West Town location the fire had “erupted,” Donna Hagan told the Sun-Times. “There’s 20,000 dry wood pallets in a lot,” she said. “It was 95 degrees and it was windy. It just took off and then it hit all the tractors, trucks and trailers and hit the building.”

* Block Club | Diehard Cubs, Sox Fans Conquer A Red Line Doubleheader In 90+-Degree Heat: “I want to start the ‘Chicago Bothsiders Club,’” said Kevin McGuire, a season-ticket-holder for the Sox and the Cubs who goes to more than 40 games a year and found a job where he can pick his own hours. “If there’s going to be double the baseball, I’m going to be there.” […] Across town, the struggling Sox, who are 20-55, lugged through a 4-1 evening loss against the Houston Astros. It was the final of three Red Line doubleheaders this season.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | A suburban software company got hacked, again, and auto dealerships are in chaos, again: The CDK cyberattack shutdown has potentially far-reaching implications for auto retail franchises, according to a new report from Seaport Research Partners. “While it’s unclear what the ultimate impact is, the impact is potentially far-reaching as CDK is reportedly contracted by [15,000] dealers nationwide … with some dealers nearly wholly reliant upon it for critical functionality such as CRM, sales processing, inventory management, etc.,” the report said.

* Daily Herald | Hundreds turn out to protest controversial development near Sugar Grove: Several hundred people Tuesday made it very clear they oppose using property taxes to help pay some of the costs of transforming 861 acres of farmland near Sugar Grove into warehouses, offices, stores and housing. […] The hearing was only about whether the land qualifies to become a TIF district. That disappointed many speakers who wanted to talk about The Grove concept, the effect of keeping property taxes from other taxing bodies, whether Route 47 could safely handle an increase in truck traffic, and other concerns.

*** Downstate ***

* IDNR | IDNR, City of East St. Louis announce plan to buy out flood-damaged properties: For the first time, this project includes additional funds to assist homeowners who resided in the flooded structures up to $22,500 in additional funds to purchase a home. These funds are not for non-resident owners or renters. The additional assistance was deemed necessary because of the low value of the structures and the need for the property owners to find a new home that is decent, safe, and sanitary.

* SJ-R | Springfield bars already bracing for end of 3 a.m. liquor licenses: Justin Rebbe said the 2 a.m. licensing for Springfield bars was “a good compromise for now.” That doesn’t mean the co-owner of Clique, which caters to the LGBTQ community, and which has held a 3 a.m. license in downtown Springfield for a little over two years, won’t be considering some changes to the operation.

*** National ***

* Rolling Stone | Donald Sutherland, ‘Klute’ and ‘Ordinary People’ Actor, Dead at 88: Sutherland’s son Kiefer also revealed his father’s death on social media, writing, “With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.”