* Crain’s…

Illinois labor leaders said today they’ll continue to push for public funding for sports stadiums despite resistance from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state legislators.

“I don’t know that it’s a matter of changing (Pritzker’s) mind, it’s continuing to work on the legislation to make the case,” said Bob Reiter, head of the Chicago Federation of Labor.

Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, noted Pritzker “hasn’t said no.”

“Nothing is immutable,” Reiter added.

* And water is wet…

Welch called the program a "voucher" program, adding that Democrats oppose school vouchers. He said advocates for the program have yet to be able to make the case to bring it back to at least 60 House Democrats. Welch typically won't put a bill on the floor without 60 Dem votes.

— Max Cotton (@maxcottontv) August 21, 2024

* Governor Pritzker hosted a panel on abortion ballot initiatives in 2024 organized by Think Big USA this morning…

Pritzker uses IL Sen. Dick Durbin as an example, saying "he was anti-choice many years ago…" while representing a downstate congressional district but "evolved on the issue in part because he understood that you cannot win statewide in Illinois if you are anti-choice." #twill

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) August 21, 2024

* Shriver Center on Poverty Law…

Crime-free nuisance ordinances (CFNOs) are municipal laws and policies that single out properties where alleged nuisance occurs. These activities can be noise disturbances or emergency service calls. CFNOs hold tenants responsible through fines and evictions, among other penalties. If a crime is being committed, the landlord is obligated to evict the tenant, or risk being fined or losing their rental property license.

The problem, in practice, is the far too broad nature of the ordinance language. It classifies any law enforcement or emergency contact as nuisance behavior. Tenants can be evicted for calls they have made to the police or emergency services, or if they are the victim of a crime at the property. This puts at risk domestic violence victims and people with disabilities, who often seek emergency services and police assistance.

Municipalities also use these ordinances to directly and indirectly encourage landlords to deny housing to people who have encountered the criminal legal system. For example, if the police are called because of domestic violence, a strict liability standard is held. That means all tenants in the home — even the victim — are threatened with eviction.

Although the Violence Against Women Act protects survivors and other people calling the police or emergency services for help, municipalities continue to enforce CFNOs. Systemic barriers lead to a higher impact on some communities. Research shows that over 40% of Black people will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, resulting in these communities disproportionately harmed and rendered homeless by CFNOs. Distrust in government from decades of discrimination and abuse causes added challenges in getting support.

*** DNC ***

* Think Big America Message Analysis: As Think Big America takes the fight to right-wing extremists across the country, this research project aimed to discover the most effective ways to build off the success of the abortion debate and further elevate the threat of Republican extremism up-and-down the ballot ahead of this November’s critical election.

* Capitol News Illinois | Amid a ‘really, really big week for labor,’ Illinois unions, Democrats held up as model: Organized labor has been everywhere at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, from the main stage to the Illinois delegation’s morning breakfast gatherings. “This has been a really, really big week for labor and very, very much appreciated, and it’s heartwarming,” Illinois labor mainstay and state AFL-CIO President Tim Drea told attendees to the Illinois breakfast on Wednesday.

* Sun-Times | Democrats united despite tide of pro-Palestinian protests, Illinois delegates say: A small but vocal contingent of delegates have withheld support for Vice President Kamala Harris unless she commits to cutting off U.S. weapon supplies to Israel, leading Illinois members of Congress to warn boycotting the polls could tip the scale toward GOP former President Donald Trump.

* Tribune | Naperville, DuPage represented at Democratic National Convention: ‘It’s really the experience of a lifetime’: From behind the scenes to the floor of Chicago’s United Center, volunteers, delegates and elected officials representing Naperville and DuPage County made the rounds on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. They basked in the fervor, helped the hubbub run and exuded local pride. Oh, and there was some wonder, too. At the experience itself and the company they found themselves in.

* South Side Weekly | CPD Agreement with Outside Agencies Reveals Security Approach: Officers assigned to police the DNC must have been on the job for at least two years and be “in good standing” with their home department. They cannot have been personally sued in the past three years and found liable for First Amendment violations, or have “any sustained complains for excessive, unreasonable or unnecessary force” in the last five years.

* Tribune | ‘Enough is enough’: Chicago’s top cop says DNC demonstrators at Israeli consulate there to wreak havoc: Snelling told reporters there were between 55 and 60 arrests — including three journalists — during the pro-Palestinian demonstration. There were only two minor injuries, a testament, he said, to his officers’ restraint and readiness for the DNC. “Once we call the mass arrest, then it was at that point we needed to take people into custody for public safety,” Snelling said. “We attempted to avoid the clash, to no avail. But CPD is not going to run away. We will not stand by and allow our officers to be attacked, because an officer who cannot protect himself cannot protect this city.”

* WGN | Police and FBI investigate maggot incident at DNC breakfast in Chicago: Chicago Police and the FBI is investigating whether maggots were intentionally slipped into a breakfast prepared for delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a law enforcement source tells WGN Investigates. It’s unclear if the contamination was discovered before any delegates consumed the food. Delegates were buzzing about the insect attack as Chicago police officers and Illinois state troopers gathered in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel near meeting rooms.

* Capitol News Illinois | Obama legacy continues with Harris nomination, DNC speech in Chicago: “It’s been 16 years since I had the honor of accepting this party’s nomination for president,” Obama said, sporting his now-gray hair while joking that he had “not aged a bit” since that time. “And looking back, I can say without question that my first big decision as your nominee turned out to be one of my best, and that was asking Joe Biden to serve by my side as vice president.”

* The Triibe | Inside EAT’s preparation process for their DNC march for reparations: Gregory Mann serves as the hype man of the action. Mann is the minister of organizing for the West Side-based nonprofit Equity and Transformation (EAT), which is led by formerly incarcerated people. The organization leads the “Keep it 1000 Campaign,” a demand for reparations for Black Americans during the third day of the DNC. Mann guides participants from the group’s West Side Center to a spot near the United Center, specifically with the goal of commanding President Joe Biden to create a federal Reparations Commission before leaving office. According to the EAT’s news release, a federal commission “would develop proposals for how the U.S. government will deliver full reparations for Black Americans.” The action also is a call to push action on the H.R. 40 Bill, the “Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act,” that has stalled in the House of Representatives for years.

* WBEZ | ‘Kamala is brat’: Chicago is ground zero for the most clever T-shirts of the season: The Democratic National Convention has been a boon for T-shirt makers. Vendors have traveled to Chicago from across the country to sell their unofficial, unsanctioned and wildly creative merch. Shirts featuring Harris’ face, along with funny quips and slogans are suddenly a common sight on Chicago’s streets. Among those moving merch this week, The T-Shirt Deli is definitely the established veteran in the game. They’ve been in business for more than 20 years and know a thing or two about designing eye-catching Ts.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s small businesses stay on theme at DNC fair with Kamala Harris-inspired nails and clothing: More than 75 Chicago area vendors — from candlemakers and coffee shops to the Shedd Aquarium and the American Writers Museum — were at McCormick Place Tuesday to showcase the city’s diverse economic and cultural offerings. The four-day vendor fair called “DemPalooza” is free and open to the public until Thursday. It includes training sessions, discussion panels and other programming as part of the Democratic National Convention.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Thornton Township trustees put lid on Supervisor Tiffany Henyard’s event spending: The actions came during a township board meeting Tuesday that actually started out as two meetings, both held in the township’s South Holland offices but in different rooms on different floors. An ordinance regulating spending for township sponsored events gives township department chiefs a spending cap of $1,000 per week or $10,000 per month, and requires the board to sign off on event budgets before money is committed or spent.

* Daily Herald | Controversial housing plan moves forward in Arlington Heights: A controversial plan for an apartment building for people with disabilities who otherwise could face homelessness is moving forward in Arlington Heights — but at two stories instead of three. At the end of a roughly five-hour meeting that began the night before, a divided village board early Tuesday voted to direct village staffers to prepare the final documents for the proposed Grace Terrace development at 1519 S. Arlington Heights Road. The 4-acre site is vacant now.

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | $30 Million Oasis Sports Complex to be Built on Abandoned Coal Mine in Marion : A sports complex, recently announced in Marion, is expected to bring more economic opportunities to the area and will be at the site of an old coal mine. The Prairie Rivers Network made the announcement, stating federal funding will be used to restore land, aiming the a new $30 million sports complex to be constructed on the site of an abandoned coal mine in Marion.

* WCIA | Central Illinois pipefitter launches labor union chapter for women: In August, WCIA is featuring blue-collar workers in Central Illinois. It’s commonly known as a male-dominated industry, but now, a group of women is coming together to show girls can get the job done too. When Laura Abbott graduated from the U of I, she was excited to start her teaching career. She taught for five years in Urbana, then decided to make a career switch after volunteering at “Career Day.”

* WCIA | Champaign School District undergoing audit of special education programs: The Board of Education approved of its authorization at their special meeting Tuesday night, with four members voting for the settlement including the audit and three members abstaining. “Thank you to the families and advocates who have tirelessly sacrificed for these students and who have been the voices for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Betsy Holder said in a post on her Facebook page. “Change won’t happen overnight, but we are finally on the right path with taking accountability and moving forward as a district and community to best serve our most marginalized children.”

* WCIA | Gibson City Mayor responds to future RhinoAg layoffs: Gibson City mayor Dan Dickey is expressing his sadness after RhinoAg announced Tuesday they will let 80 employees go from their manufacturing facility by the end of next March. The mayor said he already has reached out to Congressman Darin LaHood, IL Senator Tom Bennett, and IL Representative Jason Bunting, along with other agencies to help the transition. “Over the years, RhinoAg has contributed to our community by providing jobs, supporting our local economy as well as assisting with numerous local events, organizations and projects,” Dickey said. “We appreciate RhinoAg and our long-standing partnership, but now must focus on assisting employees and their families with avenues and solutions to help them move forward.”

*** National ***

* WGEM | Clashing campaigns: Two sides duel for voter support on Missouri abortion referendum: Now that their proposed constitutional amendment is officially on the November ballot, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom are campaigning like crazy to get the word out. But they’re not the only ones; Missouri Right to Life is campaigning against Amendment Three. The two clashing campaigns started as soon as Amendment Three was officially on the ballot. On November 5, Missourians will vote on whether or not to restore abortion access to the state. If passed, access to abortion and other forms of birth control would be enshrined in the Missouri constitution.