A man died at the Cook County Jail last Friday following a confrontation with correctional officers in which he was beaten, body-slammed, and injected with sedatives, records show.
Cory Ulmer, 41, was described in an internal report by the sergeant in charge during the incident as “combative” and disobeying his jailers’ commands. At one point, Ulmer managed to “head butt” [Sgt. Enrique Reyes], the report says. […]
Investigators from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office went to the home of Ulmer’s stepfather to inform the family of his death, but provided them no details.
A 2-year-old state law requires Dart’s office to notify families of people who die in his custody “as soon as possible in a suitable manner giving an accurate factual account of the cause of death and circumstances surrounding the death.” […]
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force has opened an investigation into Ulmer’s death.
A recent AP investigation found 94 people had died after given sedatives and restrained by police from 2012 through 2021.
…Adding… From Sheriff Dart’s office…
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, June 21, Cory Ulmer, age 41, was being escorted to the Cermak Health Services (Cook County Health and Hospitals System) emergency room to be evaluated by medical staff when a struggle ensued. Following the struggle, Ulmer suffered a medical emergency in the emergency room. Ulmer was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:27 p.m.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force to conduct an independent investigation, per protocol. As with all cases of in-custody deaths, to prevent any conflict-of-interest issues, the cause of Mr. Ulmer’s medical emergency and the circumstances surrounding it are currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Task Force. They are responsible for determining the facts of the death investigation. It would be incredibly irresponsible for the Sheriff’s Office to release any information that could affect or in any way impede the Task Force’s work.
Mr. Ulmer was returned to custody at the Jail on June 20, after he refused to return to his EM host location and did not provide an alternative host site. Ulmer was placed on EM after being charged with Aggravated Battery/Use of a Deadly Weapon for stabbing and slashing a woman as she was waiting at a bus stop.
Eleven Sheriff’s Office employees have been reassigned. It is not uncommon for staff involved in an incident to be reassigned until the investigation of the incident is complete.
In this special episode of #IllinoisLawmakers, hear from Gov. JB Pritzker as he talks about the FY 2025 budget, education and early childhood programs, economic development and more. https://t.co/3SuidFLeYg
— Capitol News Illinois (@CapitolNewsIL) June 28, 2024
From the interview…
Governor Pritzker: We’ve never been a chip manufacturing state. I mean, that’s just not part of what Illinois has had. But [quantum] gives us an opportunity, because those chips are being manufactured for quantum. And so we think there’s an opportunity for us to maybe get into that industry.
We passed the micro bill here in Illinois to incentivize it. The federal government’s provided dollars for grants and so on to incentivize it. We think we can win some of that too. But I think we’re in pretty good stead on the quantum front.
* Housing Action Illinois…
To afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Illinois, full-time workers need to earn $28.81 per hour. This is Illinois’ 2024 Housing Wage according to Out of Reach, a report published jointly today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Housing Action Illinois.
In many areas, including Chicago and the collar counties, as well as in the Kendall County metro area, the Housing Wage is now well above $30.
Released annually, the Out of Reach report calls attention to the gulf between wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report shows that affordable rental homes are out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and other families. The report’s “Housing Wage” is an estimate of the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a rental home at fair market rent without spending more than 30% of their incomes.
Other key findings from the report include:
* In the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metro area, the Housing Wage climbs to $32.96.
* The highest Housing Wage in Illinois is in the Kendall County metro area, where it reaches $33.48.
* Even in more affordable counties, the lowest the Housing Wage in Illinois is $15.52.
* Based on the state housing wage, a person earning the state minimum wage must have 1.8 full-time job(s) or work 71 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment.
* Based on the state housing wage, a person earning the state minimum wage must have 2.1 full-time job(s) or work 82 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
Nationally, the 2024 Housing Wage is $32.11 per hour for a modest two-bedroom rental home and $26.74 for a modest one-bedroom rental home.
With the cost of rent growing further out of reach for those with the lowest incomes and absent an adequate housing safety net, it is no surprise that homelessness has been on the rise. Even in Illinois, where the state has invested significant resources in preventing and ending homelessness, a growing population has no place to call home.
“During the past two years, Illinois has done a great deal at the state level to invest in preventing and ending homelessness by allocating significant new state funding to eviction prevention, shelter, and rapid rehousing programs,” says Housing Action Illinois Policy Director Bob Palmer. “But we need a much higher level of federal investment to increase permanent housing solutions, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and supportive housing to end homelessness. Unfortunately, the budget proposal just released by House Republicans reduces funding.”
* Some commentary on this week’s US Supreme Court decisions…
SCOTUS today…
1. “Agencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities. Courts do."
2. “If there are answers …, they cannot be found in the cruel and unusual punishments clause. Nor do federal judges enjoy any special competence to provide them.”
Supreme Court Justice John Roberts in the "Chevron" decision: "Perhaps most fundamentally, Chevron’s presumption is misguided because agencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities. Courts do."
* Center For Criminal Justice | Recidivism Patterns Among Those Released from Prison in Illinois: The majority (75%) of those exiting prison in Illinois during 2018 and 2019 were not arrested for a violent offense within 3 years of their release from prison. […] The shortened lengths of Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) resulting from Illinois’ Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act will reduce the proportion of individuals at risk of being returned to prison for a technical violation related to a new arrest for a violent crime.
* WBEZ | For-profit cosmetology graduates rarely earn more than high school grads: Illinois for-profit cosmetology, esthetician, nail tech and barber schools reported median earnings for their students 10 years after enrolling ranging from $15,420 to $34,368, according to data reported in 2021 dollars. The median earnings of a high school graduate in Illinois was $34,591, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 five-year American Community Survey. And Illinois cosmetology students are typically spending an average of $14,700 a year to attend. Meanwhile, the quality of education at these unregulated for-profit institutions is uneven at best, WBEZ learned in interviews with former and current students who were among the more than 250 who responded to a WBEZ survey. The winners in this system are Illinois’ beauty schools — more than 80% run by for-profit companies — that have a monopoly on training students for the state’s required licensing exams.
* USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 7,859 in the week ending June 22, down from 9,940 the week before, the Labor Department said.
* Tribune | Bronzeville microgrid, largest of its kind in Illinois, is a step toward more reliable power, experts say: The Bronzeville Community Microgrid, which went online last month — powered in part by solar panels at a midrise housing project — is the largest neighborhood microgrid in Illinois, and part of a broader effort to build a grid that’s cleaner, more reliable and more secure. Microgrids — essentially minigrids that deliver electricity in defined areas — were the original grids in the United States and have been used extensively in remote parts of Alaska.
* ABC Chicago | BARK Air expands airline to Chicago with flights catered to dogs: BARK Air set off on its maiden voyage in May, when they were offering trips from New York to Los Angeles. It was pretty popular last month already, with 15,000 requests for new destinations. […] It will cost you $6,000 for a domestic flight, and $8,000 for an international flight for one dog and one human.
* Block Club | Ravenswood’s Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe Recognized By ‘Michelin Of Pizza’ For Its NY-Style Slice: A trio of influential pizza critics ranked Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe as one of the top places for a slice in the nation. […] Since 2018, the trio has put out a yearly list of the best pizzerias in Italy and around the world, without any preference to style. For this year’s guide, Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe was ranked number 9 in the guide’s list of 50 Top Pizza Slices in the USA for 2024.
* WTTW | Riding the Chicago Street Race Track With NASCAR Driver Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, who is both a NASCAR team owner and runs the 3D-printing company Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, is hoping the economic benefits help win new fans. “What the Chicago race stands for, to me, is NASCAR getting out of their comfort zone,” he said. “They’re trying something new, and this might be great and it might flop. The bleeding edge of innovation and risk-taking is where all success comes from in life.”
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Labor Notes | Illinois Amazon Drivers Strike, Demand Union Contract: Amazon drivers at the DIL7 delivery station in Skokie, Illinois, struck June 26 over the company’s violations of federal labor laws. A hundred drivers have organized with Teamsters Local 705 and are demanding that Amazon recognize and bargain with their union, after presenting cards signed by a majority of the workforce.
* Daily Southtown | Federal fraud charges for former Lincoln-Way chief Lawrence Wyllie dismissed due to health issues: The case against Wyllie, who was District 210 superintendent from 1989 to 2013, dates to September 2017, came after a yearlong investigation by the Daily Southtown that exposed questionable financial practices at Lincoln-Way. These included private use of public funding and deals benefiting staff, including the development of a $45,000 dog-training center called Superdog. Wyllie continues to collect a taxpayer funded pension that in 2020 was more than $351,000, and grows annually to account for cost-of-living increases, according to state records.
* Crain’s | Developer reviving former AT&T campus lands new largest tenant: Holmdel, N.J.-based Inspired by Somerset Development announced new leases with three companies totaling 86,000 square feet of office space at Bell Works Chicagoland, deals that bring the transformed portion of the building at 2000 Center Drive in the northwest suburb to about 80% leased. Leading the group is security and safety system designer Convergint, which will become the largest tenant at Bell Works when it moves its headquarters into 50,000 square feet in the building. Convergint will relocate from about 40,000 square feet at 1 Commerce Drive in Schaumburg and has also leased 14,000 square feet of warehouse space at Bell Works.
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | Deere workers learn of more layoffs: Our Quad Cities News has learned that 279 employees at the Harvester Works Plant in East Moline will get layoff notices Friday. Union Local 865 informed its members employees will be told their last day is Aug. 30.
*** National ***
* WSIL | US prices didn’t rise last month for the first time since November: The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — a closely watched inflation gauge that the Federal Reserve uses for its 2% target — was unchanged from April and slowed to 2.6% for the 12 months ended in May from 2.7% the month before, according to Commerce Department data released Friday. […] Cheaper prices at the pump certainly helped (energy prices were down 2.1% for the month) and falling goods prices (down 0.4%) helped to slow overall inflation, according to the report. Food prices increased just 0.1%.
Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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* We talked the other day about the state opening two new migrant shelters in Chicago, one in Hyde Park and the other near Midway Airport. Brief excerpt…
Additional State-supported shelters are beginning to serve New Arrivals in Chicago. Two new shelters, operating as part of the City of Chicago’s existing shelter system, will prioritize families as they transition to independent living. This is in addition to a State-supported shelter in Little Village, bringing the total of State-supported and funded shelters in Chicago to three, with a total combined capacity of 2,000 people.
Officials have yet to detail a plan for how they would respond to a larger-than-usual number of buses arriving in Chicago in late summer.
It’s unclear whether there will be another summer surge of migrants after Biden placed restrictions on the border at the beginning of June. The restrictions came after Congress failed to pass a bipartisan immigration and border security proposal earlier this year.
But the city is still housing hundreds of migrants in downtown locations such as in Streeterville and in the Loop.
The two state-supported shelters are further from downtown and the convention events, which volunteers working with migrants suspect may be an attempt to keep people loitering outside shelters away from the spotlight during the convention.
* So, I asked the administration about this. Alex Gough…
The administration makes decisions on shelter locations with the safety of those living in them in mind first and foremost. These locations in particular provided ample space for more people to live as they transition to permanency.
I was also told the state got a good deal on the sites, which were fairly easy to retrofit. The state also has a shelter in Little Village, which is not downtown.
Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.
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The Supreme Court on Friday sided with a small Oregon town that imposes civil punishments on homeless people for sleeping in public spaces, finding that enforcement of its anti-camping rules is not prohibited by the Eighth Amendment’s protections from cruel and unusual punishment.
The 6-3 decision from the court in the case known as City of Grants Pass v. Johnson is its most significant involving homelessness in decades. It comes as cities nationwide grapple with a spike in the number of people without access to shelter, driven in part by high housing costs and the end of aid programs launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ruling is likely to clear the way for state and local officials to mete out civil punishments in an effort to curtail homeless encampments, which have spread throughout the West as a result of a federal appeals court decision in the case involving anti-camping ordinances from Grants Pass, Oregon.
A number of state and local leaders across party lines have defended camping bans as necessary for protecting public health and safety, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found laws imposing civil penalties on homeless people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go are unconstitutional.
The plaintiffs who challenged the law had cited Robinson v. California. The 1962 Supreme Court decision held that criminalizing the status of narcotics addiction, with a possible punishment of 90 days in jail, is cruel and unusual.
The Supreme Court in Robinson bypassed a due process clause argument in reading the Eighth Amendment to impose a limit on what a state may criminalize, Gorsuch said.
Supporters of Grants Pass’ case included many conservatives, who have been seeking to remove homeless populations to boost public safety, as well as liberal leaders in West Coast cities overwhelmed by a spike in homelessness as rent prices soar. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was among the high-profile figures to file an amicus brief in the case. “The United States Supreme Court can establish a balance that allows enforcement of reasonable limits on camping in public spaces, while still respecting the dignity of those living on our streets,” Newsom said in a statement in March.
Opponents of the case, however, fear that the Supreme Court’s ruling could open the floodgates for jurisdictions cracking down on homeless populations. “If the Supreme Court were to allow for such a punitive regime, then we’re going to have a race to the bottom to make it as uncomfortable as possible for people to survive,” John Do, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Northern California, told Rolling Stone in March.
Grants Pass’s public-camping ordinances do not criminalize status. The public-camping laws prohibit actions undertaken by any person, regardless of status. It makes no difference whether the charged defendant is currently a person experiencing homelessness, a backpacker on vacation, or a student who abandons his dorm room to camp out in protest on the lawn of a municipal building.
Grants Pass’s Ordinances criminalize being homeless. The status of being homeless (lacking available shelter) is defined by the very behavior singled out for punishment (sleeping outside). The majority protests that the Ordinances “do not criminalize mere status.” Ante, at 21. Say- ing so does not make it so. Every shred of evidence points the other way. The Ordinances’ purpose, text, and enforcement confirm that they target status, not conduct. For someone with no available shelter, the only way to comply with the Ordinances is to leave Grants Pass altogether.
* Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
Today, Friday, June 28, 2024, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court limited the rights of people experiencing homelessness in a decision in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case.
Originating from Grants Pass, Oregon, the Supreme Court decision allows cities to penalize people for sleeping outdoors if they even have a blanket to stay warm, even when they have nowhere else to go. Lower court decisions in the case found that fining and arresting people in those circumstances was “cruel and unusual punishment” under the 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The Court’s decision does not recognize the reality of the lived experience of people with no place to go. As noted in the first sentence of Justice Sotomayor’s dissent, “Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime.”
There is a severe shortage of affordable housing in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the country and a lack of emergency shelter to address the need. Anti-bedding ordinances, like those at issue in the case, would be particularly harmful to people experiencing homelessness in climates like Chicago and Illinois. Any such measures passed here would punish Black Chicagoans and Illinoisans, who disproportionately experience homelessness.
“Fining and penalizing people experiencing homelessness does not solve homelessness. Indeed, criminalizing homelessness only serves to exacerbate it,” said Patricia Nix-Hodes, Director of the Law Project of CCH. “The solution to homelessness is to provide permanent affordable housing.”
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), alongside 27 partner organizations, filed an amicus brief in the case, raising the importance of the case and the impact on people experiencing homelessness in Chicago and Illinois. Pro bono partner Much Shelist supported CCH in filing the brief, and attorneys Steven Blonder, Josh Leavitt, and Charlotte Franklin were instrumental in drafting the brief. Legal Council for Health Justice and Law Center for Better Housing also partnered on the brief.
CCH joined the National Homelessness Law Center and hundreds of other organizations that submitted more than 40 amicus briefs in support of people experiencing homelessness.
A growing number of Madison County cities are banning homeless camps on public property. Godfrey and Granite City passed ordinances last week. Wood River and Alton previously passed bans. […]
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine is advocating for all county communities to adopt similar regulations and is collaborating with the Madison County Board to pass an ordinance for the county’s unincorporated areas. The aim is to create a consistent strategy across the county, avoiding a disjointed mix of regulations.
Abortion remains legal as an emergency medical procedure in Idaho, for now, after a Thursday U.S. Supreme Court ruling, while a bill that would cement those protections in Illinois law awaits Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature. […]
Pritzker, a longtime proponent of abortion rights, is expected to sign a bill sometime soon that would enshrine protections similar to the federal EMTALA law in Illinois statute.
The proposal, House Bill 581, would codify abortions as a “stabilizing treatment” that doctors must offer when necessary, in emergency situations such as ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, and fertility loss related to pregnancy complications. The measure passed on partisan lines.
Its chief sponsor, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said on Thursday that the “primary reason” the bill was introduced was to preserve the status quo in case a Supreme Court decision casts doubt on EMTALA’s coverage of abortion procedures.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker could soon sign a measure saying hotels with less than 50 rooms can’t provide single use plastic bottles containing things like shampoo.
Opponents say Senate Bill 2960 targets small business owners and puts unnecessary mandates on them. Proponents argue the measure protects the environment. State Rep. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, sponsored the measure in the Senate.
“Plastic is one of the top sources of pollution in our country,” said Fine. “According to conservation.org, 26 billion pounds of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. At this rate by 2050, plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean. This bill is part of the solution.” […]
If a hotel is caught using single use plastic, they will be issued a written warning. Upon a second offense, they will be fined up to $500.
A bill that had bipartisan support and is on the governor’s desk would remove eligibility requirements for individuals seeking to take a nursing assistant certification exam in Spanish.
House Bill 5218 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to offer the exam and it prevents the department from implementing “impractical” eligibility requirements.
State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, said the nursing assistant certification exam is currently available in Spanish but no individual has been able to take the exam due to the requirements needed to take the Spanish exam. […]
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, urged a “yes” vote on the Senate floor. He pointed out that the Spanish CNA test costs more to take than the English test.
“We’ve got bilingual folks who are more comfortable taking written exams in Spanish, which makes sense,” said McClure. “We’ve got a lot of people who don’t speak English in our nursing homes and they need to be cared for. This is not an automatic entry into a position. After you take this test you still have to apply for a job and the nursing home needs to interview you to make sure you meet the requirements for this particular facility.”
Establishes the Illinois Youth and Young Adult Conservation and Education Pilot Program (rather than the Illinois Youth and Young Adult Conservation and Education Program). Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall administer the Program. Provides that grants under this Act are limited to units of local government and non-profit entities located in the State of Illinois that provide conservation education and employment opportunities for youth and young adults of this State. Provides that the Program is subject to appropriation. Adds education and internships to purposes within the Program. Changes references to enrollees to references to interns. Defines terms. Changes references to the Director to references to the Department. Removes provisions that exclude contracts entered into for this Program from the Illinois Procurement Code. Removes changes to the Illinois Procurement Code. Makes other changes. Repeals this Act on June 30, 2029.
House Bill 2161 is now on the governor’s desk. The bill seeks to prevent discrimination by an employer based on an employee’s family responsibilities.
During debate on the House floor last month, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, gave a real life example of the type of discrimination the bill aims to prevent.
“A woman who applied for a promotion at work and her boss asked, ‘you have kids at home right?’ She said, ‘I have four kids,’ and the boss said, ‘you’re a stellar employee but it sounds like you got a lot on your plate at home. So we’re going to give the promotion to someone else,’” said Guzzardi. “In that instance they gave the promotion to a man who also had kids and she had a gender discrimination claim, but had the employer given a job to a woman with no kids, that would have been perfectly legal. That kind of discrimination isn’t currently prohibited under the Human Rights Act.” […]
Guzzardi, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure simply closes a loophole in the state’s discrimination protections and mentioned other states that have passed similar legislation are seeing the number of lawsuits filed go down.
* HB307 sponsored by Rep. Kam Buckner has been sent to the governor…
Amends the Freedom of Information Act and the Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act. Changes the definition of “student-athlete”. Makes changes concerning compensation, including prohibiting the Act from being interpreted to consider a student-athlete as an employee, agent, or independent contractor of an association, a conference, or a postsecondary educational institution (instead of providing that a student-athlete shall not be deemed an employee, agent, or independent contractor of an association, a conference, or a postsecondary educational institution based on the student-athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate athletics program). Makes changes concerning publicity rights agreements. Provides that no postsecondary educational institution or employee acting within the employee’s course and scope of employment at a postsecondary educational institution is liable for damages related to the ability or inability of a student-athlete to earn compensation for the use of the student-athlete’s name, image, likeness, or voice. Provides that specified information that includes, reveals, or otherwise relates to the terms of an existing or proposed student-athlete publicity rights agreement is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a postsecondary educational institution may provide intangible benefits as an incentive to individuals, companies, or other third parties that provide money, benefits, opportunities, or other services to an outside entity functioning primarily to support the creation and facilitation of publicity rights agreements for student-athletes.
* ICYMI: ‘We should have a sense of urgency’ as farm drainage tile drives nutrient pollution. Investigate Midwest…
- An increased use of agricultural drainage tile is one reason a 2025 deadline to reduce nitrate and phosphorus entering the Gulf of Mexico by 20% is unlikely.
- Drainage tile, a system farmers use to drain water from croplands, is also a contributor to the historic loss of up to about 100 million acres of wetlands in the U.S.
-Tile is a major influence on the massive amounts of nitrate that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. About 90% of this nitrate comes from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, which are connected to highly tiled states like Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
By our math this project to replace a bridge is just ~two months shy of taking as long as it took to build the Sears Tower. https://t.co/YEv9Ul8jfA
— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) June 27, 2024
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker calls SCOTUS emergency abortion ruling ‘small respite’ as state protections await his signature: The proposal, House Bill 581, would codify abortions as a “stabilizing treatment” that doctors must offer when necessary, in emergency situations such as ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, and fertility loss related to pregnancy complications. The measure passed on partisan lines. Its chief sponsor, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said on Thursday that the “primary reason” the bill was introduced was to preserve the status quo in case a Supreme Court decision casts doubt on EMTALA’s coverage of abortion procedures.
* Tribune | Fallout from Supreme Court ruling just beginning in Michael Madigan racketeering case: The fallout from the ruling will be particularly acute in Chicago, where federal prosecutors have used the 666 law for years to bring political corruption indictments, including Madigan’s, where it makes up five of the 23 overall counts charged against the longtime speaker of the House. In a minute order posted to the docket Thursday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey ordered both sides to meet and confer on the issues — including whether they should proceed with pending motions to dismiss and if the U.S. attorney’s office will seek a superseding indictment — and report back to him by July 8.
* Sun-Times | On Kennedy Expressway, Illinois Tollway, no speed cameras are watching despite what signs say: But there aren’t any speed cameras in work zones on the Tri-State or the other toll roads overseen by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. And the Kennedy hasn’t had any work-zone speed-enforcement cameras since construction began on the expressway early last year. The Illinois Tollway used to have speed cameras, an agency spokeswoman says, but not for many years.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Tribune | State adds two migrant shelters months before DNC, causing objections from lawmakers: Ahead of August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration this week revealed it’s opening two new shelters to house up to 1,700 migrants, though the governor’s office sought to downplay the timing. […] [Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar] and state Sen. Mike Porfirio, a La Grange Democrat who also represents the area, said in a statement this week they only learned Pritzker’s administration was moving forward with its plans after it sent out a news release detailing the shelter openings. During previous discussions about the shelter being located in a former hotel near Midway Airport, the lawmakers had raised numerous questions and public safety concerns. (Click here for more info)
* WREX | Several new laws set to go into effect Monday in Illinois: The new law will allow a license to be obtained without as much documentation and also act as a form of identification for things such as opening a bank account or renting homes. […] [Mary Lou Castro] believes this change is imperative as non-citizens work to navigate everyday life. “Making you feel more at ease, more at home. They’re paying taxes, they’re working like everybody else and just providing the same services that any individual has to in the state of Illinois in order to survive and move forward,” Castro said.
*** Statewide ***
* AGRI News | ICGA, oil industry sue EPA: The Illinois Corn Growers Association joined 12 other state corn organizations and oil industry representatives to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its inequitable and costly electrification of America’s vehicle fleet. […] “In its multi-pollutant rule, the EPA incentivized the electric vehicle industry for its ability to reduce carbon, but refused to acknowledge the positive impact of renewable fuels,” ICGA President Dave Rylander said. “Ethanol is currently decarbonizing our atmosphere. Why are we penalizing our current solution for a technology that is not obtainable at its proposed level today?”
* WGEM | Illinois residents warned about firework safety and regulations: Novelty fireworks such as smoke bombs and sparkles are legal to set off during the fourth. However, bigger fireworks such as mortars are illegal in the cities themselves. Violating these laws is a class A misdemeanor which can lead to fines ranging from $75 to $2,500.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Chicago wants to reach violence victims at the hospital bedside: Chicago will use $3 million in American Rescue Plan funding on hospital-based violence intervention to help those at risk of a repeat of violent injury. The Chicago Department of Public Health on June 26 said it was looking for proposals from qualified hospitals and community-based organizations to deliver programming and services to victims. The project aims to promote partnerships between hospitals that provide care to the highest volume of patients with violence-related injuries and the community-based organizations that can serve them.
* Tribune | CTU lobbyist helped craft mayor’s letter to Senate president at heart of Springfield selective enrollment fight: Harmon pointed to Johnson’s promise in the late May letter as evidence of the trust between the two officials, saying the mayor’s “commitment to me is even more clear and more binding than the bill would have been.” But public records provided to the Tribune reveal a CTU official helped craft the eleventh-hour letter that likely saved the teachers union and Johnson from an embarrassing defeat in the statehouse, as well as an earlier, watered-down version.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools lays off nearly 600 support staff members: The school district acknowledged Thursday that nearly 600 support staff were laid off as schools look to the year ahead, about half teacher aides. Officials said only about 5% of all teacher aides lost their positions and that most will find jobs in other schools. They also said these were individual decisions made by principals and that overall, CPS schools are hiring more teachers, special education aides and restorative justice coordinators. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez also insisted, as he has in the past, that spending on schools overall will either stay the same or increase next school year.
* Tribune | Cracks revealed between Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union at board meeting: [A]s resources have become more scarce—with the district facing an approximately $400 million deficit when pandemic-era federal relief funds expire in the fall—different priorities emerged at Thursday’s more than six-hour meeting. Education support staff, known as paraprofessionals, help manage classrooms and materials and provide tailored support to students. CTU members said that by cutting the number of staff members who often support homeless, bilingual and special education students, CPS will destabilize not only staffers’ families but also their students.
* CBS Chicago | Chicago Board of Education approves settlement for lawsuit accusing teacher of sexual abuse: The Chicago Board of Education has given final approval to pay $800,000 to a former student who was sexually abused by a teacher. The payment comes as the settlement of a 2019 lawsuit filed by a woman known only as Jane Doe, who said she was sexually abused by a former teacher at Gurdon S. Hubbard High School in the West Lawn neighborhood.
* Tribune | Shradha Agarwal, former Outcome Health president, sentenced to 3 years in a halfway house: Shradha Agarwal, 38, was the second of a trio of former top Outcome executives to be sentenced this week for their roles in a scheme that prosecutors said defrauded pharmaceutical companies, investors and financial institutions out of $1 billion. In handing down the unusual sentence, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin said Agarwal deserved to go to prison, but he was giving her a break because of a “ridiculous” policy of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that non-U.S. citizens like Agarwal cannot go to a prison camp, where most first-time, nonviolent offenders are housed.
* Block Club | Chicago Pride Parade 2024: Here’s What You Need To Know: The parade is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, June 30. City officials and parade organizers moved up the start time to give the Police Department an easier shift change once the parade is over and again later at night, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) previously said.
* Sun-Times | Bubba Wallace’s Block Party moves to Douglass Park for 2024 NASCAR Chicago: “I’m excited to host another block party in Chicago,” Wallace said in a statement. “I was impressed by how the community showed up last year, eager and willing to learn more about our sport. Let’s run it back.” Activities for all ages are also part of the mix, including coloring stations, race car courses for kids, free haircuts and giveaways. Attendees can also take laps on racing simulators.
* Sun-Times | Kinky Friedman, provocative Texas musician and novelist, dies at 79: Friedman, 79, died Thursday at his family’s Texas ranch near San Antonio, close friend Kent Perkins told The Associated Press. The Chicago native had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years, Perkins said. […] Often called “The Kinkster” and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. […] Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Lake County News-Sun | Statistics show most Waukegan Township residents struggling to make ends meet; ‘It’s important all people are able to live with dignity’: As the cost of things like housing and food continues to increase, more than half the families in Waukegan Township — and approximately 25% of those in Lake County — are not earning enough to afford the basic necessities of life. […] In Waukegan Township — much of Waukegan, the northern part of North Chicago and some of southern Beach Park — 57% of families are below the [Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed] level. It is 52% in Zion Township, 30% in Warren Township and 33% countywide, according to United Way data.
* Crain’s | Can Walgreens save itself: The Deerfield-based company’s stock slid 25% yesterday after disclosing disappointing third-quarter earnings and revealing the pharmacy giant intends to shrink its footprint, write down assets and try to narrow its focus on profitable parts of the business. The poor performance comes amid a $1 billion cost-cutting plan and a strategic review of the entire business, both of which were kick-started by CEO Tim Wentworth. The turnaround moves are intended to boost profits and investors’ confidence, but so far, there’s little evidence the plan is working or will pay dividends anytime soon. Executives said headwinds, particularly in its largest segments, are expected to last into next year.
* NBC Chicago | Arlington Heights mayor sheds light on Bears stadium talks after announcing he won’t seek re-election: Hayes, who plans to spend time with his family after serving several terms as mayor, indicated talks with the team are still ongoing. “I’m hopeful about where things are at, otherwise I wouldn’t be leaving,” he said. “We’ve got a really good team here of our own that has been working on it for about three and a half years. And so we’re going to continue to work on it in the next 10 months.”
* NBC Chicago | Former AG Lynch recommends that Northwestern enhance hazing prevention training: A team of investigators led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recommended Northwestern enhance its hazing prevention training in the wake of a scandal that rocked the school’s athletic department. Though the report released Thursday by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP stated “the results of our review have been largely positive,” investigators found room for improvement when it came to preventing hazing during a nearly year-long review.
* Daily Herald | Des Plaines shrine welcomes national pilgrimage with special Mass: Starting Wednesday and continuing through Sunday, the Archdiocese of Chicago is welcoming the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a two-month walking journey across the U.S. led by clergy and a small group of young adults who will converge July 17, at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. “The whole idea is to rekindle the faith of the community and call them out, to rekindle people’s sense of hope,” said the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “The message is faith through action, to take responsibility for what we can do and make wherever we live a better place.”
*** Downstate ***
* CBS | Illinois cold case victim identified as Ohio woman nearly 50 years after she was killed: The woman found dead in Grundy County had been nameless. Officials identified her on Thursday as JoAnne “Vicki” Smith, who was only 20 years old when she died. Detectives said the woman’s DNA led them to surviving relatives. Earlier this year, a DNA match led authorities to identify the body as Smith’s. […] Ronnie said JoAnne was his older sister and the “apple of my mother’s eye.” She went missing from their family home in Cincinnati in 1976 and was never heard from again. Ronnie was just 8 years old when his sister disappeared.
* The Southern | Fuller Dome project includes visitors’ center: Restoring the house was financed through a Save America’s Treasures’ Grant through the National Park Services. The preservation grant meant putting everything back in its place as much as possible. For example, the floors are made of cork from Portugal. Restoring it meant finding a very specific type, size and color to match the original flooring. […] The visitors’ center has 3D printed walls from a California company called Mighty Buildings. There is a “proprietary recipe” for the walls that the company is secretive about. The center is designed to fit with Fuller’s vision of being creative, unique and good for the environment. It features triangular patterns on the outside of the building.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s letter to Illinois Senate President Don Harmon last month vowing not to shut down selective enrollment schools was directly edited by a Chicago Teachers Union lobbyist — and was preceded by an earlier version that made no such promise, the Tribune has learned.
During the waning days of the latest Springfield session, the mayor made a last-minute plea to Harmon in a letter asking him to not call for a vote the bill to extend a moratorium on all Chicago Public Schools closings. That capped off a weekslong power struggle between the CTU, which also opposed the legislation, and state legislators who wanted to ink the two-year extension to ensure selective enrollment schools would not be shuttered.
Harmon pointed to Johnson’s promise in the late May letter as evidence of the trust between the two officials, saying the mayor’s “commitment to me is even more clear and more binding than the bill would have been.”
But public records provided to the Tribune reveal a CTU official helped craft the eleventh-hour letter that likely saved the teachers union and Johnson from an embarrassing defeat in the statehouse, as well as an earlier, watered-down version.
I had heard that the first letter Johnson sent to Harmon was long on rhetoric and short on promises. The second letter was far more specific. So, while highly unusual, the CTU input may have actually helped the mayor’s cause with Harmon.
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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JUST IN: The judge in the Michael Madigan case orders both sides to “meet and confer” about next steps in light of the SCOTUS ruling, including whether the Feds plan to bring a new indictment. “The Court reiterates the importance of maintaining the current trial date.” pic.twitter.com/fMF5qsK9bc
For Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grants handed out by his office to combat carjacking and vehicle thefts is a bit of a personal matter. […]
“When I was in high school, I got carjacked on the West Side of Chicago and it is a horrible experience that has stayed with me,” Giannoulias said, adding that the daily headlines are a reminder that the unsettling crime has continued for decades. “It’s horrible and unacceptable that so many of us have become victims of these crimes. No one should have to live in fear of having their car stolen at gunpoint or returning to their vehicle only to find it gone.”
A review of the 10-year trend in carjackings shows that last year the numbers fell from pandemic highs but are still much higher than they were in 2013. In 2022, the most recent vehicle theft data, there were 38,649 thefts statewide, an increase of more than 10,000 cases compared to the year prior. More than 22,000 of the thefts occurred in Chicago that year, where thefts doubled compared to 2021.
To fight the surge, Giannoulias’ office on Wednesday issued $11 million in new grants to six police agencies around Illinois to pay for additional detectives and equipment such as vehicles, tracking devices, GPS software and license-plate readers.
GROWMARK closed on a deal with COFCO Thursday to sell its minority stake in a Mississippi River grain terminal located in Cahokia. Simultaneously, GROWMARK purchased the B-House grain operation from COFCO located along the Calumet River in Chicago. GROWMARK will run B-House under the name Lakeside Grain Trading.
As with every decision GROWMARK makes, we will always act in the best interest of the member companies and farmers we represent. This transaction reflects GROWMARK’s unwavering commitment to increasing farmers’ profitability while strengthening its presence along strategic waterways and ports throughout the Midwest.
U.S. Representatives Mike Bost (IL-12) and Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) raised concerns today over the recent acquisition of the Cahokia grain terminal by COFCO International Ltd, a Chinese state-run company. In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), Bost and Budzinski urged an immediate review of the acquisition to weigh the consequences for America’s national security and the region’s agricultural economy.
“China is attempting to buy up America’s commercial infrastructure and farmland at a breakneck pace. The economic and national security implications are far too great to allow that to happen,” said Bost. “This is an issue that should resonate with Republicans and Democrats alike. Rep. Budzinski and I are demanding a timely review of this transfer because federal officials need to understand how it will impact the safety and security of the American people, especially here in Southern Illinois.”
“As the Chinese Communist Party tries to strengthen its grip on the means of American agricultural production and commerce, we must push back,” said Budzinski. “Today, Congressman Mike Bost and I sent a letter to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States raising our concerns about the Chinese government’s acquisition of the Cahokia Heights grain terminal. I urge the committee to take a serious look at the scope and implications this transaction could have on our national security and on the Heartland’s agricultural economy.”
* US Sen. Dick Durbin…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today underwent a successful hip replacement surgery for his left hip. The procedure was performed this morning at RUSH in Oak Brook, Illinois. Durbin will remain in Illinois until he is cleared for travel to Washington by his doctor.
“Today, I had a routine hip replacement surgery in Chicago. I’m grateful to the medical staff at RUSH for today’s successful procedure, and I look forward to a speedy recovery and climbing the Capitol steps again as soon as possible.”
*** Statewide ***
* Sun-Times | Most new gas, diesel vehicle sales would be banned in Illinois by 2035 under proposal: A group of health and environmental organizations are asking a state quasi-judicial body to ban the sale of all new gas-powered cars and a large percentage of diesel trucks by 2035 after failing to sell Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the idea. Speeding the transition to electric trucks and cars from gas and diesel models will reduce pollution and save hundreds of lives a year while helping Illinois reduce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change, the organizations argue in a petition filed Thursday with the Illinois Pollution Control Board, a rule-making panel appointed by Pritzker.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Automated ticketing of drivers in bike and bus lanes could have started this summer. Now it won’t: [T]he start of the program has been pushed back, the Chicago Department of Transportation confirmed. Now the program, on the books for more than a year, isn’t expected to start until fall, as the process to acquire supplies and services for the pilot is ongoing. “Just to be slow to roll this out sort of shows that maybe there’s not enough emphasis on public transportation, as there should be,” said W. Robert Schultz III , campaign organizer with the advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance. “It’s the poor stepchild as city issues go.”
* Crain’s | Blue Cross Illinois parent watches revenue soar: Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. reported premium revenue topping $54 billion in 2023 — the highest ever, according to the company’s annual financial report obtained by Crain’s through a Freedom of Information Act request to the state of Illinois. HCSC’s net income was down less than 2% to $1.4 billion due to a larger federal tax burden last year. Before taxes, however, the company posted a $1.7 billion surplus, or profit, 15% higher than in 2022, a fact executives point to as proof the company is “stable.”
* Sun-Times | Firefighters to march during NASCAR, DNC to turn up heat on Johnson for new contract: Chicago firefighters and paramedics will march down Michigan Avenue during an action-packed NASCAR weekend to press their three-year-long demand for a new contract that includes adding 20 more ambulances, their union president said Thursday. Pat Cleary, president of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, predicted “hundreds” of his members would participate in the two-hour march “right alongside of NASCAR,” from Roosevelt to Madison and back again, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 6. They will be joined by Chicago police officers furious with Mayor Brandon Johnson for convincing the City Council to twice reject an independent arbitrator’s ruling on police discipline.
* Sun-Times | Melissa Bell named CEO of Chicago Public Media, will oversee Sun-Times, WBEZ: She succeeds Matt Moog, who will step down once Bell starts in September. Moog’s four-year tenure included shepherding the 2022 merger of the Sun-Times and WBEZ, a deal that netted $61 million in foundation support. But his time ended in controversy. Unions at both organizations criticized Moog for pocketing a nearly 20% pay hike while presiding over layoffs in response to declining revenue. The unions also made public allegations of a “hostile work environment” at Chicago Public Media.
* BND | Company releases statement after collapsed mine swallows part of Alton soccer field: “The New Frontier Materials underground mine in Alton, IL today experienced a surface subsidence and opened a sink hole at Gordon Moore City Park. The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs. No one was injured in the incident, which has been reported to officials at the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in accordance with applicable regulations. Safety is our top priority. We will work with the city to remediate this issue as quickly and safely as possible to ensure minimal impact on the community.”
* Sun-Times | Manteno man gets 2 years in prison for shoving officer, tossing mug at police during Capitol riot: Quinn Keen, 36, also faces trial next month for driving under the influence, his attorney told U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C. Still, the attorney acknowledged that Keen’s actions on Jan. 6 amount to “the most significant crime Mr. Keen has committed.” […] Keen confronted officers on the line, threw the contents of a water bottle at them and then threw the bottle itself, according to court documents. Meanwhile, other rioters pulled a bike rack from the police line to the ground. When an officer bent over to pick it up, Keen shoved the officer backward with both hands, records show.
* SJ-R | Future of three Springfield cafes in limbo after multiple fires: The Asani’s much anticipated sophomore effort, The Capital Cafe at 1825 MacArthur Blvd., was gutted by fire a week from its opening date last November. The cafe’s future has been left in limbo because the Asani’s insurance company has yet to sign off on the loss or even determine whether the exterior of the former McDonald’s building is structurally sound enough to be repaired or must be razed.
* WCIA | Vermilion Co. village limits number of marijuana-related businesses, rejects second dispensary’s pitch: “We are a town of 2,700 residents and we already have one dispensary,” Billy Wear, the Tilton mayor said in an email to WCIA. “I feel that there is a limited number of people that partake in their use, and that we as a board need to make business decisions on what benefits the greatest number of citizens in our town, and the people that we rely on to support our businesses.”
*** National ***
* Bloomberg | Walgreens shares plunge on outlook cut, more store closings: In addition to shuttering locations, management said it would make more organizational changes without specifying further job cuts. The company has had a rocky few years with turnover in the executive ranks amid a challenging retail climate. Walgreens shares sank as much as 25% on Thursday, the biggest one-day decline since at least 1980, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
* Vox | The Supreme Court just lit a match and tossed it into dozens of federal agencies: But, as Sotomayor warns, many federal agencies — including the “Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and many others” — may only seek civil penalties in administrative proceedings. That means that a wide array of laws guaranteeing workplace safety and advancing other important federal goals could cease to function after
* STL Today | Incentives for Chiefs, Royals would have to come from Mo. Legislature, governor says: Parson’s statements Thursday all but foreclose the possibility of the state Department of Economic Development putting forward its own plan this year independent of state legislators. “I don’t think we have the capability of doing that,” said Parson, adding that an offer would have to go through the budgetary process. The Legislature returns to action in January, following the November elections.
A Surgeon General’s Advisory is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.
The U.S. surgeon general on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis, driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country.
The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded.
“People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe,” Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”
To drive down gun deaths, Murthy calls on the U.S. to ban “assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use,” introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons.
None of those suggestions can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress, which typically recoils at gun control measures. Some state legislatures, however, have enacted or may consider some of the surgeon general’s proposals.
* Illinois’ very own…
Biden’s surgeon general declaring firearms as a “public health emergency” is a backdoor attempt to strip away the American peoples’ 2nd Amendment rights. I will work to stop Biden’s attack on our Constitutional rights! https://t.co/TM7BfKHseZ
Um, he declared gun violence a public health crisis via an advisory.
* Flashback to 2021, when Gov. Pritzker declared gun violence to be a public health crisis…
Joined by legislators, stakeholders, and community leaders, Governor JB Pritzker today declared gun violence a public health crisis and announced support for a $250 million state investment over the next three years to implement the Reimagine Public Safety plan, a data-driven and community-based violence prevention initiative.
Stakeholders have been a driving force behind the plan to coordinate and maximize hundreds of millions of dollars in future funding. The state will begin issuing Notices of Funding Opportunities for qualified organizations before the end of 2021 with a goal of enabling work to be well underway before the summer of 2022.
“Every neighborhood and every home deserve to be free from violence, and the State of Illinois is making an unprecedented statewide investment in the pursuit of violence reduction through the Reimagine Public Safety Act,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Reimagine Public Safety is an evidence-based and data driven approach focusing on violence prevention, youth development, and the provision of trauma-based services. And we are putting an unprecedented amount of dollars - $250 million - on the ground to see it through.”
* Pritzker was asked this week what good he thought the Surgeon General’s public health crisis announcement would do…
Well, I’m proud that Illinois has led the way in this regard. I do think it’s important to recognize that this is an area where we need to put new emphasis.
Remember, I think one of the reasons for a declaration like this is to remind people that early intervention, just like with health care, early intervention, what do we say? ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ That is true also, when it comes to gun violence.
Making sure that we’re making the proper investments early into communities where we know there is a problem with violence. Making sure that we’re deterring people from getting engaged in things that they shouldn’t, by providing jobs, by making sure we have violence intervention programs that are funded.
I would just point to one other thing. You may recall that back in, I think it was 2020 or 2019 there was a study released by Northwestern University that showed that one of the reasons for the uptick, significant rise in crime in Chicago, and across the country, but they were talking particularly about Illinois and Chicago, was the disinvestment under the prior administration. I’m talking about the administration of Illinois, from those early intervention programs in those communities. The fact that we had no budget for two years, many of those violence interruption interruption programs actually had to close. And then you saw some of the results of that with the rise in violent crime across the city.
So I think that’s something to keep in mind as the Surgeon General has made his declaration and as we move forward in the kinds of programs and investments that we make in the state of Illinois.
[CTA President Dorval Carter] says the discussions about the coming fiscal cliff facing public transportation have focused too much on governance and not enough on funding.
Yeah, that argument will most definitely work in Springfield. Just throw gobs more state money at them without changing the way they do business.
Right.
…Adding… As I’ve noted in comments, Carter will have basically no say in funding. That’s a legislative and gubernatorial task, as well as local governments. He and all transit chieftains have been told by legislative point people and the governor to present their governmental reform ideas. If he doesn’t do that, it’ll be imposed on him.
The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortions, for now, in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon. […]
The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts, and could end up before the Supreme Court again. It doesn’t answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.
One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn’t offer an ultrasound. The baby later died.
Complaints that pregnant women were turned away from U.S. emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, federal documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal.
The cases raise alarms about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S., especially in states that enacted strict abortion laws and sparked confusion around the treatment doctors can provide.
“It is shocking, it’s absolutely shocking,” said Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN in Oregon. “It is appalling that someone would show up to an emergency room and not receive care — this is inconceivable.”
In any event, the representations Idaho’s counsel made during oral argument and in the State’s briefs filed in this Court are not a definitive interpretation of Idaho law. That authority remains with the Idaho Supreme Court, which has never endorsed the State’s position. To the contrary, the Idaho Supreme Court has emphasized that, to avoid criminal liability, a doctor must subjectively believe that an abortion is necessary to prevent death. Planned Parenthood Great Northwest v. State, 171 Idaho 374, 445– 446, 522 P. 3d 1132, 1203–1204 (2023). And that is to say nothing of local prosecutors, who may not be aware of (or care about) Idaho’s newfound interpretation of its abortion ban, and who are highly incentivized to enforce the law to the hilt. See Idaho Code Ann. §63–3642 (Supp. 2023) (withholding funding from local governments if their officials decline to enforce Idaho felony laws, which include these felony abortion laws); see also Brief for Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, Inc., as Amicus Curiae 14–24 (discussing myriad ways in which state and local officials in Idaho have targeted physicians). Still, some of my colleagues latch onto the bald representations of Idaho’s counsel, using them as an escape hatch that justifies our dispensing with having to issue a merits ruling in these cases. […]
After today, there will be a few months—maybe a few years—during which doctors may no longer need to airlift pregnant patients out of Idaho. As J USTICE K AGAN emphasizes, portions of Idaho’s law will be preliminarily enjoined (at least for now). Ante, at 2, 4. But having not heard from this Court on the ultimate pre-emption issue, Idaho’s doctors will still have to decide whether to provide emergency medical care in the midst of highly charged legal circumstances with no guarantee that this fragile detente over the State’s categorical prohibitions will be maintained. Cf. ante, at 8 (BARRETT, J., concurring) (“Even with the preliminary injunction in place, Idaho’s ability to enforce its law remains almost entirely intact”).
So, to be clear: Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay. While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires. This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it. And for as long as we refuse to declare what the law requires, pregnant patients in Idaho, Texas, and elsewhere will be paying the price. Because we owe them—and the Nation—an answer to the straightforward pre-emption question presented in these cases, I respectfully dissent.
* The General Assembly passed a bill in May preparing for a ruling against ER abortions, and shored up protections in Illinois. HB581 has been sent to the governor…
Hospitals shall furnish hospital emergency services, including as described in subsections (b-1) and (b-2), in accordance with the procedures required by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), including, but not limited to, medical screening, the provision of necessary stabilizing treatment, procedures for refusals to consent, restricting transfers until the individual is stabilized, appropriate transfers of patients, nondiscrimination, no delay in examination or treatment, and whistleblower protections. […]
For purposes of this Act, “stabilizing treatment” includes abortion when abortion is necessary to resolve the patient’s injury or acute medical condition that is liable to cause death or severe injury or serious illness. The amendments to this Section are declarative of existing law.
* Governor JB Pritzker…
Following an order by the U.S. Supreme Court that the lower court’s preliminary injunction will take effect in Idaho, temporarily preventing the state from enforcing its ban on abortion in emergency situations, Illinois Governor and Think Big America Founder JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“The brutal treatment of women under the MAGA extremist abortion bans is cruel and unAmerican. Today’s ruling offers a small respite from some of the harshest outcomes, but it is not the broad protection that women and healthcare professionals are owed. In states across the country, because of Trump’s Supreme Court, women will still be denied reproductive care they need and deserve. Remember what this case was about: Republicans were fighting to let hospitals refuse care for dying women. The anti-abortion extremists were never stopping at abortion bans - they want to ban contraception and IVF, and take away hard-won women’s rights. The only way to stop their attack on our freedoms is to defeat them at the ballot box in November.”
* Planned Parenthood Illinois…
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) has protected people’s right to access emergency medical care including abortion for over 40 years. EMTALA has protected people’s right to access emergency abortion care in states where abortion is banned. Attributed to Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois:
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to continue the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) which has protected people’s right to access emergency abortion for over 40 years. While this decision temporarily allows people to access emergency abortion care, this case will continue in the lower courts and may jeopardize the health and safety of patients across our country.
In Illinois, the General Assembly passed an Illinois Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) which protects people’s right to access emergency reproductive care regardless of what happens at the federal level. Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is heartbroken that people living in abortion deserts facing complications in their pregnancy may still be forced to endure unnecessary pain and health complications.
Since Roe was overturned on June 24, 2022, PPIL has seen patients from 41 different states forced to travel to Illinois for abortion care. Our doors are open to provide essential reproductive care including abortion to everyone regardless of their zip code. We continue to fight for everyone to access the health care they need and deserve.”
* Related…
* ABC Chicago | Chicago Abortion Fund helps out-of-state women get abortions in Illinois after Roe v Wade overturned: In the last two years, the Dobbs decision has led to abortion restrictions of some kind in 21 states. Illinois has seen a 41% increase in out-of-state patients seeking an abortion. “I’m a mom who’s had abortions. I know what they meant for my life. I know that without access to that essential care, my life would look really different,” said Mega Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund.
Homeowners in many south and southwest suburbs will have to pay a lot more in property taxes as the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region, according to an analysis released today by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
The biggest increases in homeowners’ tax bills occurred in 15 south suburbs where taxes soared 30% or more. Of those 15 suburbs, 13 have mostly Black populations. In two towns, Dixmoor and Phoenix, the median tax bill more than doubled.
“Many homeowners are going to be shocked and angry when they get their bills,” Pappas said. “South suburban homeowners already pay some of the highest property taxes in the county, and these increases will make paying those bills even more difficult.”
A research team created by Pappas released its Tax Year 2023 Bill Analysis, a detailed examination of nearly 1.8 million bills to be mailed to property owners July 2 and due a month later on Aug. 1.
This year’s Second Installment bills include a new feature, “Where Your Money Goes,” that breaks down the amounts of money billed by each taxing district and shows whether taxes went up or down.
Among key findings of the analysis:
• Across Cook County, property taxes rose about $706 million, climbing from $17.6 billion to $18.3 billion. Homeowners are shouldering an extra $611 million, or nearly 86% of this year’s increase, while commercial properties owe an extra $102.9 million and taxes on vacant land dropped by $7.8 million.
• In the south and southwest suburbs, where all properties were reassessed, taxes rose a total of $265.4 million. The median south suburban residential tax bill increased by 19.9%, the largest percentage increase in at least 29 years, according to Treasurer’s data. Homeowners bore the brunt of the increase as their taxes rose $396.8 million while taxes on commercial properties dropped by $121.6 million.
• In the north and northwest suburbs, taxes rose $213.7 million from $4.06 billion to $4.27 billion. Residential taxes increased $109.8 million while taxes on commercial properties increased $103.1 million.
• In Chicago, taxes increased by a modest 2.6%, largely because of an increase in the Chicago Public Schools tax levy and bill increases in many tax increment finance districts. In the north and northwest suburbs, overall taxes rose by 4%, with slightly bigger percentage increases for businesses than homeowners.
Homeowners in the south and southwest suburbs are being hit hard because new assessment shifted 4% of the overall tax burden from businesses onto them. The financial shift was caused by elimination of the 10% COVID-19 assessment reduction enacted in 2020, higher home selling prices and the success businesses had appealing their assessments at the Board of Review, which handles appeals of valuations made by the Assessor’s Office.
Particularly hard hit were homeowners in Park Forest, where the median residential bill rose by 56% to $7,152. In Dixmoor, the median bill increased by 122%, to $1,950. And in Phoenix, where nearly all of the village is in a tax increment finance district, the median bill shot up by 107% to $1,744.
Nearly 4,200 south and southwest suburban homeowners who paid no taxes last year will get bills this year. That’s because the value of their exemptions no longer exceeds the higher assessed values of their homes. The median for those bills was $1,115.
Across the county, more than 1.3 million homeowners must pay more in property taxes, while about 251,600 were billed less. Taxes for more than 88,000 commercial properties increased, while nearly 28,000 went down.
State law allows school districts to hike taxes by the prior year’s increase in the Consumer Price Index, or 5%, whichever is less. Because the CPI increased by 6.5% in 2022, school districts were allowed a 5% increase. But the overall percentage increase was higher, partly due to a provision called recapture.
Recapture is a 2021 provision in the Illinois tax code that allows school districts and many local governments to recover money refunded to property owners who successfully appealed their taxes the previous year. Recapture led to an additional $136.3 million being tacked onto bills this year. That’s $51.9 million less than was added to property owners’ bills last year.
Significant increases in the amount of money the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools said they needed to operate, coupled with recapture and higher tax increment financing district bills, boosted the overall property tax burden in Chicago by $221.8 million. That broke down as a $116.6 million increase on commercial properties and a $103.9 million increase on residential properties.
“But because of the shift of assessed value from commercial to residential in the south and southwest suburbs, less than a third of businesses in that region received higher bills for tax year 2023,” treasurer’s officials concluded. “Even though tax rates in the south suburbs declined, in some cases significantly, the 19 highest tax rates in Cook County are still in Chicago’s south suburbs, where the population is primarily lower-income Black residents — demonstrating once again the stark inequities in the Illinois property tax system.”
In Park Forest, where the median bill is up by $2,567 to $7,152, Mayor Joseph Woods called the increases a “catastrophe” for homeowners and said the village is working to influence policy changes at the county and state levels while seeking out grant funding to avoid having to levy more taxes at the village level.
“We know that there seems to be an unfairness or inequity in regards to the way, you know, properties are assessed,” Woods said in an interview Wednesday. “So we’re looking at every option and trying to lobby everyone.”
The village is split between Cook County and Will County. Woods said the difference in taxes is stark depending on which side of the border people live.
“This is the 30th year in a row everything’s increased,” she said. “You can’t keep studying the property tax system and keep saying it doesn’t work then do nothing about it. It’s time for Springfield to make changes.”
With America facing an obesity epidemic, it’s no wonder some are embracing the concept that food—simple, healthy, nutritious food—is medicine in and of itself, a philosophy that’s growing in popularity among health care providers.
The idea of “food as medicine” or “food is medicine” is hardly rocket science, although it is founded in science. Studies have found that tailoring meals for patients battling obesity or diabetes can have a tremendous, positive impact on their health.
These studies raise a couple of interesting policy questions: If food is indeed medicine, should doctors be able to prescribe it? And, more importantly, should health insurers have to pay for it? […]
State legislators across the country are beginning to heed Budhu’s call, introducing legislation to make food covered by state-run health plans or establish pilot programs to explore the idea.
* Rep. Norma Hernandez sponsored HB5249, which would provide nutritional care services by a registered dietitian. Synopsis…
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, nutrition care services and medical nutrition therapy provided by a registered dietitian licensed under the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act who is acting within the scope of his or her license shall be covered under the medical assistance program. Provides that the covered services may be aimed at prevention, delay, management, treatment, or rehabilitation of a disease or condition and include nutrition assessment, nutrition intervention, nutrition counseling, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply for any federal waiver or Title XIX State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the amendatory Act. Permits the Department to adopt any rules, including standards and criteria, necessary to implement the amendatory Act.
The bill picked up 20 co-sponsors but was stuck in committee during spring session.
* The federal government approved a program to allow states to use Medicaid to pay for groceries and nutritional counseling. This month Colorado’s governor signed a this bill to potentially fund nutrition support through Medicaid…
The House Health and Human Services Committee today passed legislation to help fund housing and nutrition services for those on Medicaid. This cost-neutral plan would lay the groundwork for redirecting federal Medicaid funds to help Colorado families access nutritious food options and secure housing. […]
HB24-1322, which passed committee by a vote of 8-4, would support Coloradans on Medicaid to afford housing and nutritious meals. Specifically, this bill would direct the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to conduct a feasibility study and pursue an 1115 Waiver so Medicaid could fund housing and nutrition services. This legislation aims to create a path to redirect Medicaid funding for services that address health-related social needs of Coloradans who already rely on the federal Medicaid program.
The feasibility study would determine how Medicaid could pay for specific nutrition-based services such as medically tailored meals and pantry stocking. It could also help with temporary housing, rent, utility assistance, as well as eviction prevention and tenant support. The study would also determine the eligibility requirements to access these services and which populations across the state would benefit the most.
Utilizing dollars already spent on housing and nutrition support services through an 1115 Medicaid Waiver would provide Colorado with a federal match and the flexibility to design and improve Medicaid programs to fit the needs of Coloradans. It would also help the state conserve local and state financial resources.
This cost-neutral model for redirecting Medicaid funds to housing and nutrition support is successfully being used in more than 15 states across the nation, including Arkansas, California, New Jersey and North Carolina.
* ICYMI: SCOTUS ruling could upend federal corruption cases for Madigan, allies. Capitol News Illinois…
An attorney for close Madigan confidant Mike McClain, a longtime Springfield lobbyist who is a defendant in both bribery cases, predicted Wednesday that the ComEd case will have to be retried.
“We will be asking the court to vacate the conviction at a minimum,” attorney Patrick Cotter told Capitol News Illinois.
As for the case in which McClain is a co-defendant with Madigan, Cotter said his legal team would likely challenge the charges that rely on the federal bribery statute and may make other arguments, including that the grand jury indicted Madigan and McClain under an “incorrect” law.
Former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar, who represents former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, had vowed to appeal the case after the trial concluded last spring, but a delay in the ComEd defendants’ sentencings has prevented that so far.
* Tribune | Inmate’s death during heat wave ramps up criticism of conditions at Stateville: The Will County coroner’s office did not yet have a cause of death for Michael Broadway, who had earned a college degree while serving a 75-year sentence for a 2005 murder, and a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections would only say the agency is investigating. But his death during a severe heat wave has led inmates and prison advocates to put the blame at least partly on the squalid environment inside Stateville, where accounts from people incarcerated there and others in legislative hearings and elsewhere describe poor ventilation, visible mold, rodent infestations and unsanitary drinking water. The prison’s housing units also lack air conditioning, according to the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group.
* Tribune | Chicago White Sox shut out for 12th time and fall to 40 games under .500 in front of 1st sellout crowd of the season: The Sox were shut out for the 12th time this season, falling 4-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 36,225. The Sox hosted their first Mexican Heritage Night, resulting in the first weekday sellout for a game that wasn’t opening day or against the Cubs since 2012. Manager Pedro Grifol referred to the crowd as “phenomenal.” “We just couldn’t take advantage of it,” he said.
* Illinois Times | Big plans for future of the State Fairgrounds: IDOA Director Jerry Costello says the master plan refined the concept of a Town Square gathering space and how that can enhance the appeal of the fairgrounds. This builds upon improvements already underway. In the 4 ½ years Costello has been director under Gov. JB Pritzker, the IDOA staff has increased from 299 to 408. In addition, $58.1 million was included in the capital budget in June 2022 for improvements to buildings and grounds to begin to address deferred maintenance. “Governor Pritzker has done more for the fairgrounds than at any time since Governors Thompson and Edgar,” said Costello.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Quantum technology companies set for big tax incentives under new law: Proponents of the legislation, which include a who’s who of business leaders and representatives of organized labor, say it will help attract businesses to the state, encourage growth and generate jobs. The programs will generate an estimated $21 billion in new state revenue over the next 30 years, according to the governor’s office. The largest new program set up in the legislation would designate a “quantum campus” somewhere in the state. Businesses in that area would receive tax breaks on construction, materials purchase and use taxes, similar to an existing enterprise zone program.
*** Statewide ***
* WGN | Illinois said to have ‘momentum’ in ending HIV in state: In 2022, more than 1,300 Illinoisans received an HIV diagnosis, but that number is diminishing, Gov. JB Pritzker said at a Wednesday workshop at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center West on Wolcott Avenue. “The number of new cases diagnosed statewide has decreased 18 percent. In addition, the national HIV/AIDS strategy established a target to increase rates of care access within one month of diagnosis, to 95 percent,” Pritzker said.
* SJ-R | Illinois gas tax is set to increase on July 1. Here’s what to know: According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the tax on motor fuel in the state of Illinois will increase to 47 cents a gallon, an increase of 3.5% from the 2023-24 fiscal year. The increase may lead to customers seeing higher prices at the pump, unfortunate timing coming days before the busy Fourth of July travel weekend.
* State Week | The Dobbs decision and Illinois — two years on: This week saw the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Roe v. Wade. The result has been a patchwork of laws related to abortion. While some states outlawed the procedure or passed restrictions, Illinois has become a safe haven for those seeking abortions and other care.
* CBS | How Illinois soybean farmers deal with the effects of climate change: Michael Langemeier, a professor of agriculture economics at Purdue University, said the weather changes are something farmers are discussing more and more. “I don’t know if it’s directly impacting what the consumers pay to a large degree, yet,” Langemeier said. He and his team have surveyed 400 farmers nationwide. He asked farmers about how worried they were about the changing weather patterns, and about 25% said they were either “very worried” or “fairly worried.”
*** Chicago ***
* Block Club | How Can Chicago Make More Money? First Revenue Committee Hearing Offers Few Specifics: “We’re going to continue to support as many options as possible. As you all know, we’ve dedicated an entire subcommittee to find revenue ideas,” [Mayor Johnson] said at a March 20 press conference. But Wednesday’s inaugural hearing of that body served more as a briefing for alderpeople on how the city currently collects taxes and other revenue than a forum for proposals to bring in new funds. Several alderpeople did ask questions about a head tax, a standalone grocery tax and a carbon tax for airlines.
* Crain’s | Service tax? Grocery tax? All ideas on the table as City Hall probes revenue options.: Since it was first created last year, Johnson has pointed to the new subcommittee on revenue, chaired by his ally, Ald. William Hall, 6th, when asked which taxes and fees he still supports to bring in the $800 million in new revenue he promised on the campaign trail. The discussion was more of a Budget 101 crash course on the city’s finances than a detailed presentation of which revenue options are on the table this fall. No votes were taken, and many of the potential taxes will likely never receive a vote because they either need state approval first or are nonstarters for a majority of the City Council.
* Tribune | Big Cook County property tax hikes coming for many in south suburbs: More than a dozen Cook County suburbs have median bills that have increased by more than 30%. That includes Dixmoor, where the median tax bill for homeowners jumped from $1,073 last year to $1,950 this year, and Hazel Crest, where the median bill jumped by $1,586 to $5,651.
* Tribune | DuPage: No criminal charges for officers involved in fatal shooting of Carol Stream man: An attorney representing the Goodlow family said they would continue pursuing that case in federal court and that the family “fundamentally” disagreed with Berlin’s decision. Berlin said he had not found that Officer Daniel Pfingston, who shot Goodlow, was justified in his use of force, but that he could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pfingston had not been justified. According to a village statement, Pfingston has not been employed with the Carol Stream Police Department since May 2.
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | IL program helping disadvantaged farmers fills need for local, fresh foods at one Central IL food bank: “We have seen a 90% increase in the number of people seeking our services since 2022 so the need out there is really high,” Amanda Borden, the food bank’s vice president of development, said. In March, Governor Pritzker announced nearly $29 million in grant money for the program to 15 food organizations including the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, which received $1.5 million. They serve about 55,000 people on average every month through 18 counties in East Central Illinois.
*** National ***
* The Atlantic | New, Ominous Signs for Gay Rights Keep Emerging: Now alarm bells are ringing for same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights in general. A new Gallup poll shows that Republican approval of homosexual rights has dropped from 56 to 40 percent in two years, and that support for same-sex marriage is down to less than half, at 46 percent. Liberal justices on the Supreme Court warned in a dissent last week that their colleagues are chipping away at the right to marriage. Over the past four years, Republican policy makers have mounted a campaign against transgender rights and discussion of homosexuality in schools, but the result appears to be a wider backlash against LGBTQ rights.
* Gallup | Same-Sex Relations, Marriage Still Supported by Most in U.S.: As with support for same-sex marriage, Democrats (81%) — and, to a lesser extent, independents (68%) — are more likely than Republicans (40%) to say relations between gays or lesbians are morally acceptable. Whereas a majority of Democrats have thought same-sex relations are morally acceptable since 2006, no more than half of Republicans have said the same throughout Gallup’s trend, except for three readings — 51% in 2020 and 2021 and 56% in 2022. The current 41-point gap between Democrats and Republicans ties 2011 as the largest on record.
* Crain’s | June auto sales could take ‘significant’ hit from CDK outage:
The cyberattacks on CDK Global and resulting turmoil at dealerships around the U.S. could reduce June new-vehicle sales by about 100,000, according to one forecast. J.D. Power and GlobalData estimate that U.S. light vehicle sales for the month will fall by 2.6 to 7.2 percent from a year earlier, for volume of 1.27 million to 1.33 million. They originally had expected sales of 1.41 million before the ransomware attacks that began June 19 created a “significant” disruption.
Gov. JB Pritzker was on the city’s Near West Side on Wednesday morning to speak about a statewide initiative that has designs on ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois within the next decade.
Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL), as its website states, is a community engagement initiative that aims to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030. […]
On Wednesday, Pritzker was among those gathered for a workshop at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center West on Wolcott Avenue. The governor spoke about GTZ-IL, praising the initiative and vowing continued support from his administration.
“We will work together to reduce structural and institutional barriers to diagnose and treat,” Pritzker said. “We will expand access to care while breaking down the stigma for people living with or vulnerable to HIV, to seek help or to receive a diagnosis as soon as possible.
Over the last two decades, Chicago’s political leaders have spent tens of millions on attempts to treat children arrested by police more like children and less like a public safety menace. […]
Now, an Injustice Watch examination of Chicago’s efforts at youth justice reform — including dozens of interviews, thousands of pages of public records, and a decade of arrest data — reveals an inept, grindingly slow response to kids who commit crimes. It’s been a Band-Aid on a deep wound.
The investigation showed the city has hired contractors with records of failure, the Chicago Police Department didn’t buy in to key reforms, and a long-promised new program has delivered barely any help to the thousands of kids who might need it.
The latest failure is a $10 million initiative offering some kids who have been arrested one to three months of services — including help with school, legal support, or counseling. While police arrested about 3,600 kids last year, they referred only 286 to the program in its first 11 months. Of those, only 35 completed the program. That’s roughly one for every 100 kids police arrest.
IDOT is unveiling five new photo enforcement vans that will be used throughout Illinois work zones starting this construction season, a continuation of a program that traces back 20 years ago. The vehicles are the result of a new contract with Modaxo, which allows for as-needed equipment updates and a “train the trainer” program that will put operations firmly in the hands of IDOT and Illinois State Police.
Bearing clear markings designating them as speed photo enforcement vehicles, the vans feature updated technology and a large sign that displays the speed of approaching vehicles. Highway Safety Programs Unit Chief Juan Pava said the improved technological features are a boon to the program.
“We are going to have lidar-based speed detection, which is a huge improvement over our previous contract that had radar speed detection,” Pava said. “We have new cameras with much higher resolution, as well as new safety features within the units to keep the troopers who are deploying them safe. We’re hoping that with this new technology, we’ll be able to get better metrics to truly understand the speed issues in work zones and increase the effectiveness of the speed photo enforcement program.”
The vehicles will be used exclusively in work zones while workers are present, as mandated by the 2004 passage of the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act. Through district staff, IDOT determines where the vans should be deployed, with ISP troopers staffing them and handling any necessary ticketing. […]
“This is not a revenue generating program. The primary benefit is speed reduction and behavior change,” said Work Zone Safety Engineer Nathan Peck. “That’s why we use a big white van. We want it to be visible. It’s all about deterrence, presence and visibility.”
The Chicago White Sox have now had the worst half-season in the franchise’s 124-year history.
And they’re on pace to challenge for the ignominious title of worst team of all-time.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and a tiebreaking RBI single Tuesday night, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
For reference, the 1962 New York Mets went 40-120, which remains the worst record ever since MLB went to a 162-game schedule prior to that season (the Mets had two postponed games that season that were not made up).
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Chicago reaches deal with protest organizers ahead of DNC: The ACLU of Illinois filed a federal lawsuit against the city last month on behalf of a coalition of LGBTQ+ and abortion rights groups, “Bodies Against Unjust Laws,” that sought a protest permit during the DNC. Wednesday, the ACLU announced the coalition was granted a permit to march south along Michigan Avenue from Wacker Drive to the statue of Union Army Gen. John Logan near 9th Street. The march is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 18, the day before DNC activities begin in earnest.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago schools that removed police officers saw slight drop in high-level discipline violations: study: The study’s authors looked at the district’s more than 80 CPS-run high schools, and focused on those that removed officers after the summer of 2020, when the Chicago Board of Education directed Local School Councils to decide if they wanted SROs on campus. As of last school year, 39 high schools had on-campus police officers staffed by the Chicago Police Department, while 44 other schools had none, according to the study. Fourteen schools had voted since 2020 to remove them. The Board of Education plans to remove the remaining officers starting this fall.
* Sun-Times | CPS dropping school police officers didn’t change students, teachers feeling safe, U of C study reveals: A study released Wednesday by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research examined the effects of CPS schools removing their police officers and found there were minimal changes to perceptions of safety. But the analysis discovered a reduction in high-level discipline infractions at schools that had gotten rid of their cops, and found Black students were more likely to have officers in their schools than other racial groups.
* Sun-Times | City prepares for large crowds at Pride Parade: The parade gets underway at 11 a.m. in Uptown, passes through Lake View and ends in Lincoln Park. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said it is expecting large crowds and is preparing to ensure the safety of all attendees. Temporary black-and-white markers will be hung atop light poles along the parade route to mark the location. If anyone is lost or in need of help, the markers will allow first-responders to find the caller.
* Block Club | What Does The ‘Chicago Accent’ Actually Sound Like?: It’s a distinct sound: beginning “th” sounds become to “d” sounds, so that “this” or “those” becomes “dis” or “dose.” You add an exaggerated “s” to proper nouns, like the “Jewels” and “Soldiers Field.” And you have to have the flattest “a” in words like “cat” or “bag.” But there are actually many Chicago accents with different origins, and they span far beyond the North Side climes that soak up a lot of the cultural conversation. That reflects in the media set in, or filmed in, the city — often with non-Chicago actors who must learn the many ways we speak.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Man accused of assaulting State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is placed on electronic monitoring: William Swetz, 34, was released from custody after appearing in court Sunday on aggravated assault and aggravated battery charges. He was ordered to have no contact with Foxx. But Swetz was back in court Tuesday morning after he was allegedly seen on surveillance video driving past Foxx’s home after his Sunday appearance, according to court records. The judge on Tuesday ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago suburb to host Illinois’ ‘largest’ fireworks show for 4th of July: July 4, Itasca, in DuPage County will host “Illinois’ largest fireworks show,” according to a press release. The live pyrotechnics show takes place place at Hamilton Lakes, west of Chicago O’Hare International Airport at the intersection of I-390 and Park Boulevard, the release said. According to organizers, the 2024 fireworks show marks the event’s 27th year.
*** Downstate ***
* SJ-R | Longtime Springfield Urban League leader, voting rights lawsuit plaintiff, dies at 81: Howard Veal Sr., the longtime head of the Springfield Urban League and a class action plaintiff in the voting rights lawsuit that led to the creation of Springfield’s aldermanic form of government, died June 12. […] Speaking to The State Journal-Register Monday, Frank McNeil, one of the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit with William Washington and Rudy Davenport, said Veal, representing the Urban League, and Archie Lawrence, representing the Springfield NAACP, bolstered the suit by bringing in “all classes of individuals. It extended (the lawsuit) beyond three individuals.”
* WGN | Authorities to identify victim in 1976 cold case in Grundy County: Authorities in Grundy County are preparing to make a major announcement this week in the case of an unidentified woman whose body was found along a road near Seneca, Illinois, in 1976. Grundy County Coroner John W. Callahan said Tuesday that his office has identified the victim in the 1976 cold case and will release her identity during a news conference in Morris, Illinois, on Thursday afternoon.
*** National ***
* Tribune | Paris puts Park Ridge artist’s statue of Lincoln on display near Champs Elysee: Many connections fell into place — and many challenges had to be overcome over the course of a decade– for Park Ridge’s Kalo Foundation, a nonprofit arts group, to ship the mold of a bust of Abraham Lincoln by Park Ridge’s best-known artist, Italian-American sculptor Alfonso Iannelli, to France, have it bronzed and then ceremonially presented to the city of Paris for permanent display near the Champs Elysee. Kalo Foundation officers flew to France for its official unveiling by officials of Paris’ 8th arondissement on May 13. In the decade from idea to execution, the process of casting the plaster Lincoln bust into bronze and donating it to Paris had to overcome several tripwires, including the deaths of its original French and Park Ridge backers, the COVID pandemic and fundraising challenges.
* NYT | Why U.S. Schools Are Facing Their Biggest Budget Crunch in Years: A flow of federal dollars — $122 billion meant to help schools recover from the pandemic — is running dry in September, leaving schools with less money for tutors, summer school and other supports that have funded pandemic recovery efforts over the last three years. At the same time, declining student enrollment — a consequence of lower birthrates and a growing school choice movement — is catching up to some districts.
Additional State-supported shelters are beginning to serve New Arrivals in Chicago. Two new shelters, operating as part of the City of Chicago’s existing shelter system, will prioritize families as they transition to independent living. This is in addition to a State-supported shelter in Little Village, bringing the total of State-supported and funded shelters in Chicago to three, with a total combined capacity of 2,000 people.
These latest additions to shelter capacity advance the State’s commitment to a joint funding plan with Cook County and the City of Chicago to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis presented by the arrival of over 43,000 New Arrivals from the U.S. southern border.
“In Illinois, we’re implementing our comprehensive data-driven plan to improve our response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and amplify the effectiveness of State, County, and City investments,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The additional temporary shelters will ensure that shelter capacity and wraparound services remain accessible to asylum seeker families as they transition out of our system of care and on to independence.”
“I’m thankful to our partners and the contributions across City, State, County, and nonprofit sectors. These additional shelters provide meaningful support to families seeking stability as they take their next steps toward independence,” said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary Designate.
Hyde Park Shelter
A former hotel shelter that was previously used to quarantine New Arrivals from measles is serving as a facility for standard shelter operations now that the outbreak has passed. The hotel has been retrofitted to serve as a more traditional shelter site.
Under the guidance of public health officials, the State-funded quarantine shelter was decommissioned for quarantine in early May, allowing the State to transition the site to a shelter for families, with a maximum capacity to house 750 people.
Midway Shelter
Buildout for the next State-supported shelter at a former hotel on the Southwest side of Chicago began last week. The plan is to begin moving in families in July. This shelter has a maximum capacity of 950 residents.
* Press release today from Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar and Sen. Mike Porfirio, who represent the Midway area…
We were informed by press release that the Illinois Department of Human Services plans to move forward with their plans to operate a state-run migrant shelter in our districts. Without sufficient information on how the state plans to protect the safety of the shelter and the surrounding community, we cannot support this plan. Our local 8th Chicago Police District is already stretched thin and will be challenged to support a shelter of 950 migrants. Opening a shelter in July does not allow for proper planning or ensure that our concerns are met. Local residents have had no say in this plan, and we will not ignore their valid concerns about safety and utilizing local resources.
As subscribers know, Guerrero-Cuellar and Porfirio are at odds with the governor over their bill to transfer some Midway Airport land to the city for a new police station. The Pritzker administration has other plans for the land.
…Adding… The governor’s office insists that both Guerrero-Cuellar and Porfirio were both fully briefed and some plans were even changed at their behest, including changing curfew times for residents. The administration “even called local mayors at their request.”
Today Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of bills to incentivize corporate development and increase Illinois’ competitive edge for attracting new businesses and capital investments. The omnibus bills, HB5005, include investments in tax credit programs for the film industry and research and development projects across the state, as well as for the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) programs. The bills also build on Illinois’ growing status as a tech hub and reduce red tape for the Blue Collar Job Act (BCJA). […]
In 2023, Illinois tripled corporate investments incentivized by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). New jobs created by the EDGE and REV programs jumped up more than 60 percent from the previous year - from 2,691 to 4,329 - with the number of retained jobs increasing exponentially, from 204 to 3,127. Updates to Illinois’ premier business development tools will make Illinois even more competitive for jobs and capital investment and could generate more than an estimated $21 billion in new state revenue into GRF over the next 30 years.
The bill also expands River’s Edge Redevelopment Zones (RERZ) to include 7 new downstate communities, which will enable them to leverage new incentives to attract investments, create jobs and invest in their communities. Based on community feedback, the bill adds zones in Moline, East Moline, Ottawa, LaSalle, Peru, Rock Island and Quincy.
The Illinois film tax credit, created by Governor Pritzker in 2022 and expanded through 2032, offers tax credits for local labor and production expenditures and has been a key factor in Illinois landing major productions. The State’s tax credit has resulted in a $6.81 return on investment for every dollar spent on the incentive, resulting in $3.6 billion in economic activity between FY17 and FY22. 94 percent of Illinois’ current film industry economic impact is attributed to the impact of the tax credit enacted by Governor Pritzker.
The omnibus also includes:
- Recodification of eligibility for the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) program: This law codifies quantum computing, semiconductor, and microchip companies in the R&D phase as eligible for the program while reducing initial investment requirements to allow smaller businesses to enter the market.
- Creation of a Quantum Enterprise Zone (QEZ): Designed to help position Illinois’ proposed quantum campus - funded through a $500 million bonded capital request introduced in the FY25 budget – to attract up to $11 billion in CHIPS and related federal funding and an estimated $20 billion in private investment.
- Reduction of Blue Collar Jobs Act (BCJA) Red Tape: Based on industry feedback, this change allows BCJA credits to be based on industry standard or 3rd party verified construction wages rather than the submission of monthly payroll data.
* The governor fielded some quantum questions from reporters after the bill signing…
Well, the announcement of the creation of a quantum campus has meant a lot of significant interest from large companies and from new well-funded startup companies. As well as from governments and industries that want to be plugged in to the efforts here at a quantum campus.
So you’ll see some announcements that will come out over the next month or two about some of those partnerships.
Then you’ll see the choice of a location for that campus. And then, of course, after that there’ll be a, you know, building of that campus and talk about what’s going to be on the campus itself. So I think that’s maybe the order in which things will happen. But it’s very exciting, I have to say.
I was talking to somebody who is very high up in the quantum industry, I guess you could say, who said to me that [Illinois is] alone in our leadership as a state in putting this quantum campus together. They haven’t seen any other state that’s this forward on the industry and it portends well as we look at what the opportunities are for billions of dollars. And I hasten to say, tens of billions of dollars of interest in the state of Illinois. […]
Question: This is an industry not everyone understands, so why put all that money there?
Pritzker: Appreciate you asking that question, and I will remind you that Illinois is where the first browser was developed. Nobody really remembers that.
PayPal came out of Illinois, YouTube came out of Illinois. We had the first big supercomputer [at the] University of Illinois.
We were poised in the early 90s and late 80s to be the leading state for development of the Internet, and most people had no idea what the internet was in 1990 let’s say. So, think about that analogy to where we are today.
And by the way, nobody at the state had a strategy for how do we keep those companies or the development of that industry in Illinois? There was no strategy, and it got up and left.
We, today, and as somebody who has been in the technology industry. We were on the cutting edge. We still are, but we were on the cutting edge. When I came into office the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Northwestern and other institutions, our national laboratories, all [were] on the cutting edge of quantum technology, even if other people hadn’t heard of it.
This is the direction of things. And we’re in an international competition, I might add, from an economic security perspective and an international security perspective and a national security perspective.
I mentioned that because in my first year in office, even when people hadn’t heard much about quantum, we put in the infrastructure bill, $200 million dedicated - we were the only state that had done this at this time - dedicated to developing the quantum industry and Chicago Quantum Exchange and other investments that help us build the ecosystem.
That was 2019. Those institutions have thrived over the last number of years, and we are recognized around the world now in something that still maybe people don’t totally understand, but at least people know the word quantum. They know there’s something big happening, and Illinois and Chicago, among the researchers, scientists and companies around the world, they know that Chicago is the place to be.
And now that we’re creating this campus, it’s accelerated even more peoples’ interest in Illinois. So I don’t want to miss the opportunity, like the state did back in the early 90s, for us to be on the front end of something that could turn into, I hate these words, but the Silicon Valley of quantum.
Well, I think if you hearken back to our 2019 economic development plan for the state - we’ll be issuing another one this year, which they’re five year plans - you’ll see that we have actually a broader focus on growth industries. Say, for example, life sciences is another area where we have a right to win, we have lots of healthcare institutions, major universities, that are developing new drugs or new solutions for healthcare related problems, and that’s just another, ag-tech in our agriculture industry. […]
You know we sit on the border of and we have access to 20% of the world’s fresh water. That’s unusual, I mean, go talk to people who live in California and in Colorado about what’s happened to fresh water for them. So think about what that means as an advantage for decades and decades to come.
So I mentioned those just to give you some baseline thinking about. We’re not just focused on incentives that are in this bill related to quantum, for example, but more broadly about, how do we turn the crank, so to speak. If you think about an old car from 100 years ago to get the motor going on industries that we have a right to win at, that we have the opportunity to really develop in our state. EVs being another one. You know, how do we do that? And at the same time enhance the industries that we already have in the state that we’re so good at.
Remember, one very important thing about Illinois is we have a diverse economy in the state. This is a terrific thing, because when we go through difficult economic times as a nation or across the world, Illinois tends not to get drawn down as much as some other places that have one or two industries that they rely upon.
So I’m proud of that diversity. We’re trying to lift up all the industries, the companies that are in the state of Illinois, and I reach out and talk to CEOs of all size companies across the state to find out what do you need, what’s going to help you grow. And at the same time talking to new industries and new companies that want to think about coming to Illinois and figuring out what is it that will make us the most attractive state for you to come to.
* There’s more to this bill. For instance…
With strong support from State Senator Christopher Belt, a new law signed Wednesday aims to spur economic growth and enhance benefits under the Grocery Initiative Act – a law Belt led in 2023.
“Grocery stores that open in or around food deserts need all the support possible in order to remain accessible for residents,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This law recognizes the importance of the Grocery Initiative Act and allows these stores to qualify for additional assistance from the state.”
The new law expands eligibility for incentives under the Illinois Grocery Act, allowing grocery stores located in an Enterprise Zone — a designated area with available tax incentives aimed at stimulating economic growth in underserved areas — to apply for the High Impact Business program. Previously, grocery stores could only apply for assistance under the Grocery Initiative Act or the HIB program. Under this new law, eligible grocers can apply to both programs, making it easier for stores to open and thrive within food deserts.
And…
A new law sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton establishes incentives for microchip manufacturers in an effort to make the electronics industry more competitive in Illinois.
“Microchips and semiconductors are part of just about every piece of technology we use every day,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “By providing these new incentives, we are creating jobs, keeping Illinois at the forefront of a growing industry and making our community a hub for manufacturing.”
House Bill 5005 brings new opportunities to the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity Act, which offers incentives to companies that manufacture microchips and semiconductors in Illinois. MICRO allows businesses to receive tax credits on new and retained jobs, training costs, investments and construction jobs. Under the new law, manufacturers will be eligible for a tax credit when relocating from one site in Illinois to another. Additionally, individual taxpayers who focus on research and development and innovation in the space of semiconductor manufacturing, microchip manufacturing and the manufacturing of semiconductor or microchip component parts will be eligible for this program.
In court last month, Scott Lassar, an attorney for ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, said the ComEd Four cases will likely see major upheaval, arguing that jurors were allowed to find her and her co-defendants guilty without evidence of a quid pro quo.
“It is all but certain that there is at least going to be a retrial, if not an acquittal, for the defendants,” Lassar said.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, who is spearheading the Madigan and ComEd prosecutions, suggested defense attorneys were prematurely spiking the football.
“I wish somebody would just read the language of the statute,” Bhachu told U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber last week.
In a written motion Friday, Bhachu went even further, calling the effort to delay the sentencings another signal that the defendants are “unrepentant” and trying to shift blame.
On the subject of quid pro quo, the defendants have repeatedly said that proof of a quid pro quo is required under § 666. But in doing so, counsel for McClain has described the term quid pro quo as being the equivalent of requiring proof of an agreement between two parties concerning the corrupt exchange of benefits for action, and counsel for Pramaggiore has also suggested that proof of an “agreement” is required.
This is incorrect; this misunderstanding is a result of casual and imprecise use of Latin jargon, namely, the phrase “quid pro quo,” to mask what is really required by the plain English of § 666. While proof of such a meeting of the minds is sufficient to violate the statute, no proof of an “agreement” is required under either prong of § 666. The language of the statute—which defendants ignore—not only punishes those who “agree to accept” and “agree to give,” but also anyone who “solicits” intending to be influenced or rewarded and anyone who “offers” with intent to influence or reward —without regard to whether any mutual understanding is reached with the counterparty.
A bribe requires a quid pro quo—an agreement to exchange this for that, to exchange money or something else of value for influence in the future. A gratuity is paid “as a reward for actions the payee has already taken or is already committed to take.” United States v. Agostino, 132 F.3d 1183, 1195 (7th Cir. 1997). Snyder insists that the evidence does not support a finding that he and the Buhas agreed to exchange money for the truck contracts before they were awarded. Without a prior quid pro quo agreement, he argues, § 666 cannot apply. […]
Accordingly, we follow here our precedents holding that 18 U.S.C. § 666 applies to gratuities and does not require evidence of a prior quid pro quo agreement.
In sum, §666 tracks §201(b), the bribery provision for federal officials. A state or local official can violate §666 when he accepts an up-front payment for a future official act or agrees to a future reward for a future official act. See United States v. Fernandez, 722 F. 3d 1, 23 (CA1 2013) (the word “reward” “clarifies that a bribe can be promised before, but paid after, the official’s action” (quotation marks omitted)).
But a state or local official does not violate §666 if the official has taken the official act before any reward is agreed to, much less given. Although a gratuity offered and accepted after the official act may be unethical or illegal under other federal, state, or local laws, the gratuity does not violate §666.
(F)or a payment to constitute a bribe, there must be an up-front agreement to exchange the payment for taking an official action.
Legislatures have also considered it similarly wrongful for government officials to accept gratuities under certain circumstances, but unlike bribes, gratuities do not have a quid pro quo requirement. Generally speaking, rather than an actual agreement to take payment as the impetus for engaging in an official act (a quid pro quo exchange), gratuities “may constitute merely a reward for some future act that the public official will take (and may already have determined to take), or for a past act that he has already taken.”
We took this case to resolve “[w]hether section 666 criminalizes gratuities, i.e., payments in recognition of actions the official has already taken or committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement to take those actions.” The majority today answers no, when the answer to that question should be an unequivocal yes.
Pramaggiore’s attoney, Scott Lassar, said the Supreme Court ruling makes clear that “what Anne Pramaggiore was charged with is not a crime.”
“I don’t think the entire case would be dismissed,” Lassar said. “But we will argue — I think successfully — that all of the convictions have to be reversed. And so, if that’s the case, the government would have to make a choice about whether they want to retry the case.”
Patrick Cotter, McClain’s attorney, said he believes the ruling “does radically change what the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois can argue is a crime.” […]
Madigan’s lawyers have noted that seven of the 23 counts he faces in his indictment are tied to the law in question.
Wednesday’s hearing is expected to generate a lot of interest locally and nationwide. Kasey Morgan, the spokeswoman for the Lake County courts, said her office was working to accommodate survivors and family members of the victims of the parade shooting who want to attend, as well as members of Crimo’s family who want to be in the courtroom, which can hold about 110 people.
The courts office has also received requests for seats from area elected officials, and representatives of national news organizations. Interested parties can also view the hearing on Zoom if they register, Morgan said. The link is at: https://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/2320/High-Profile-Case-Information […]
If Crimo does change his plea to guilty, the case could move immediately into the sentencing phase. That could include testimony from law enforcement officers, detailing evidence that connects Crimo to the shootings. […]
Should Crimo plead guilty to the first-degree murder of more than one of the seven people killed, he would face an automatic sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors leveled more than 100 felony charges in the case, including 21 counts of first-degree murder.
The Highland Park parade shooting suspect on Wednesday abruptly decided to not go through with a change of his not guilty plea.
Robert Crimo III fell silent when the judge asked if the agreement outlined by Lake County prosecutors was what he’d discussed with his lawyers. Court was briefly recessed, and when Crimo returned his lawyers said their client no longer wanted to go ahead with a change of plea.
Prosecutors said Crimo had agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder in connection with the mass shooting nearly two years ago. In all, he was to plead guilty to a total of 55 counts, prosecutors said. […]
The next hearing in the case is Aug. 28. His trial is scheduled for February 2025.
Victims and their families were expected to give emotional testimony following the plea deal on how the shooting has affected them, before Judge Victoria Rossetti delivered the sentence.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart previously said his office had been in touch with those affected before agreeing to the plea.
“We have been continuing to work with victims and survivors as the situation develops,” he said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it would have extra officers on duty for the sentencing.
A government attorney faced tough questioning Monday from U.S. Supreme Court justices over concerns that the federal bribery statute often used to prosecute public officials, including a former Indiana mayor, is vague and potentially criminalizes innocuous gift-giving by people from all walks of life. […]
The high court’s decision to hear Snyder’s case has already had repercussions in Chicago. Since the Supreme Court’s announcement in December, Madigan’s trial was delayed from April 1 until October to allow time for the decision to come out and be digested before going forward.
In a parallel case, a different judge agreed, over the objection of prosecutors, to delay sentencings for the “ComEd Four,” a group of lobbyists and executives convicted of conspiring to bribe Madigan by showering his associates with do-nothing consulting jobs and other perks.
In Madigan’s case, prosecutors have noted that the 666 statute is charged in only five of the 23 counts of the racketeering indictment.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials does not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities.”
The ruling in the appeal of former Portage, Indiana Mayor James Snyder could have a major impact on public corruption prosecutions in Chicago, including the cases of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. In fact, the Supreme Court accused prosecutors of trying to turn the law into “a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials.”
The high court’s decision to take up the Snyder case interrupted the momentum federal prosecutors here had built through a series of corruption trials in 2023. […]
The corruption conviction of Snyder gave the Supreme Court the opportunity to study a law known as the “federal program bribery” statute. It applies to any state or local government agent who “corruptly solicits … anything of value … intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business” worth $5,000 or more. […]
It’s involved in five of the counts in the separate case dealing with the four Madigan allies, who include former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore.
Held: Section 666 proscribes bribes to state and local officials but does not make it a crime for those officials to accept gratuities for their past acts. https://t.co/9nogVj3v01
In the opinion, which has been highly anticipated in Chicago’s federal court, the justices sided 6-3 with the former mayor of Portage, Ind., James Snyder, who argued to the nation’s highest court that the anti-corruption law under which he was convicted is vague and could potentially criminalize innocent, everyday conduct. […]
“The Government’s so-called guidance would leave state and local officials entirely at sea to guess about what gifts they are allowed to accept under federal law, with the threat of up to 10 years in federal prison if they happen to guess wrong,” the opinion states. “That is not how federal criminal law works. And the Court has rejected the view that it should construe a criminal statute on the assumption that the Government will use it responsibly.”
The 47-page opinion also takes issue with the term “rewarded,” which it typically interpreted by prosecutors as a reward for a public official after an official act was taken. […]
Defense attorneys will likely request that certain counts be thrown out in light of the justices’ ruling on Wednesday, though prosecutors in the Madigan case have said they are willing to forgo any arguments to jurors that the benefits provided to Madigan were gratuities.
The question in this case is whether §666 also makes it a crime for state and local officials to accept gratuities—for example, gift cards, lunches, plaques, books, framed photos, or the like—that may be given as a token of appreciation after the official act. The answer is no. State and local governments often regulate the gifts that state and local officials may accept. Section 666 does not supplement those state and local rules by subjecting 19 million state and local officials to up to 10 years in federal prison for accepting even commonplace gratuities. Rather, §666 leaves it to state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials. […]
If the Government were correct that §666 also covered gratuities, Congress would have created an entirely inexplicable regime for state and local officials. For one, even though bribery has been treated as a far more serious offense, Congress would have authorized the same 10-year maximum sentences for (i) gratuities to state and local officials and (ii) bribes to state and local officials. See Sun-Diamond, 526 U. S., at 405. In addition, Congress would have authorized punishing gratuities to state and local officials five times more severely than gratuities to federal officials—10 years for state and local officials compared to 2 years for federal officials. […]
The Government asks this Court to adopt an interpretation of §666 that would radically upend gratuities rules and turn §666 into a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials. We decline to do so. Section 666 is a vital statute, but its focus is targeted: Section 666 proscribes bribes to state and local officials, while allowing state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials. Within constitutional bounds, Congress can always change the law if it wishes to do so. But since 1986, it has not, presumably because Congress understands that state and local governments may and often do regulate gratuities to state and local officials. We reverse the judgment of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
* ICYMI: Gov. Pritzker signs measure creating new state agency for early education. Sun-Times…
- The newly signed law will create the Department of Early Childhood.
- The department will oversee early education programs, including the Preschool For All program, child care assistance programs and day care licensing.
- This year’s budget included $14 million to create the new department.
* Crain’s | CME and Google to build new facility to move trading into the cloud: The two firms will develop cloud and colocation facilities — space rented to clients for their own IT equipment — next to CME’s existing data center in Aurora, executives said Wednesday. Construction will start later this year and the transition will happen in phases, they said. CME and Google began a 10-year alliance in 2021 to migrate data, clearing services and eventually trading into the cloud. As part of the agreement, Google made a $1 billion equity investment in the derivatives exchange.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WAND | Advocates urge IL lawmakers to close loophole allowing domestic abusers access to guns: “We felt really confident after hearing the oral arguments late last year of the way the Supreme Court was going to come down,” said Maralea Negron, director for The Network. “I think it wasn’t a huge sticking point. But for those that did have concerns, the decision is very straight forward. It comes down on the side of survivors. We’re really hopeful that the General Assembly will do what we’ve been asking, what is pass Karina’s Bill in veto session.”
* Press Release | Swanson Named Illinois VFW’s Representative of the Year: Earlier this month, Illinois State Representative Dan Swanson was named Illinois’ Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Representative of the Year. He received the honors at Joint Opening Session of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Illinois state convention in Springfield. Swanson, a veteran himself, has long championed veterans’ issues and has been an advocate throughout his service in the Illinois General Assembly. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Johnson announces dates, times for budget forums: Last year, Johnson used public input generated by a similar series of budget roundtables to craft a $16.77 billion budget that, among other things, added 4,000 summer jobs for Chicago’s youth and re-established a stand-alone Department of Environment. The mayor used a record $434 million in surplus funds from tax increment financing districts to balance his first budget. He also froze the city’s property tax levy.
* NBC Chicago | Thousands of DNC protesters expected, raising questions about security, neighborhood impact: “We don’t think it’s the city hiding the ball. We think that the city is dependent on decisions made by other agencies in the city or federal agencies, FBI, Secret Service,” said Chris Williams, the attorney representing the Coalition to March on the DNC. The coalition, which represents 125 protest organizations and counting, has been fighting a legal battle with the city over its denial of protest permits. The city declined the protesters’ request to set up at Union Park, just blocks away from the United Center, offering a spot several miles away on Columbus Drive instead. Protesters have maintained the spot near Grant Park is not a viable solution because it’s not within “sight and sound” of the convention hall.
* CBS Chicago | Chicago paramedics experience burnout amid staffing shortage, firefighters say: Chicago firefighters are calling out the city for not having enough ambulances and paramedics to safely serve the city, and they want that fixed as part of a new union contract. They plan to protest at next week’s NASCAR event, then outside of the Democratic National Convention.
* Tribune | NASCAR Chicago Street Race returns with shorter setup, fewer skeptics and hopes for less rain: “I think the big difference this year versus last year is people have an understanding of what the event is and how it comes together and what to expect,” said Julie Giese, 46, president of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race. “It wasn’t as bad as everyone expected last year as far as moving around the city.” Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said Chicagoans are generally less concerned after seeing NASCAR successfully pull off the first street race in its 75-year history amid biblical rains last summer.
* Cook County Record | Judges’ association member recuses himself from case demanding judge association members recuse themselves from cases: U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso is asking to be removed from a case that claims members in the state’s largest judicial lobbying group– of which he is one– play favorites and back the rulings of their fellow members over those of litigants. Alonso, a member of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA), asked on June 18 that Edward “Coach” Weinhaus v. Regina A. Scannicchio, et. al. be reassigned to another judge in the U.S. District Court.
* Sun-Times | Cook County agency employs Indiana politician who pleaded guilty in federal case: While his brother James Snyder has appealed his bribery conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — which is expected to issue a potential landmark ruling in the matter soon — Jon Snyder landed a new government job across the state line. He’s now working for an obscure but influential Cook County agency. Documents obtained by WBEZ show Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele hired Jon Snyder to join her staff as a $75,000-a-year analyst for commercial property tax appeals cases in December 2022.
* Tribune | North suburban commuter service to close, a sign of changing corporate office landscape: The Transportation Management Association of Lake-Cook Corridor will end operations July 1. The organization had for years run shuttles to north suburban campuses, providing one option to solve a problem that has long vexed suburbs: how to help employees travel the last bit of their commute between a train or bus station and their office. The closure comes amid a dramatic reshaping of the region’s corporate landscape. In just the north Cook County and south Lake County area once served by the TMA, insurance giant Allstate sold its sprawling Northbrook campus in 2022 and downsized. Baxter International tried to sell its Deerfield property, but eventually pulled it off the market after a prospective buyer pulled out when neighbors campaigned to derail a warehouse facility a developer proposed for the site.
* Daily Herald | Harper College student named Soldier of the Year by Illinois Army National Guard: At 19, Nathan Johnson is one of the youngest soldiers ever to win first place in the physically grueling, three-day Illinois National Guard Best Warrior Competition. Due to his rank as a junior enlisted man, Nathan Johnson, from Arlington Heights, was named Soldier of the Year by the Illinois Army National Guard at the April competition, which took place at the Illinois Guard training ground in Sparta.
*** Downstate ***
* Crain’s | VW’s lifeline to Rivian could help Illinois hang onto jobs: Volkswagen is throwing Rivian a $5 billion lifeline, a badly needed vote of confidence in the startup automaker that employs more than 8,000 people at a factory in downstate Normal. The German auto giant said it will invest $5 billion in a joint venture with Rivian, including an initial $1 billion infusion and another $1 billion in each of the next two years.
*** National ***
* STL Today | Acclaimed St. Louis restaurant Bulrush closes. Owner cites ‘hate politics’ in Missouri: Connoley, who is gay, cited Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s actions toward transgender people, including attempts to seek their medical records. “I’ve done LGBT advocacy for a long time, 30-plus years, and I’ve never seen something like this,” Connoley said. “Normally, it’s legislative, and there’s work you can do with your representatives and constituents. But here, it’s one person doing hate politics.”
* AP | Nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school blocked by Oklahoma Supreme Court: The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board’s 3-2 vote last year to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined elected officials, early childhood advocates, and education leaders to sign Senate Bill 0001 into law, officially establishing Illinois’ new Department of Early Childhood. The new state agency, first proposed by Governor Pritzker in October 2023, will focus exclusively on early childhood programs and services for young children, improving equity and accessibility for families and caregivers.
“Our state-funded early childhood programs operate across three different state agencies, putting an unnecessary burden on those families looking for support and on those providing the support that’s needed,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am very proud to usher in the beginning of a new era for early childhood education and care in Illinois – as we create the Department of Early Childhood. Once fully implemented in 2026, this new agency will make life simpler, better, and fairer for tens of thousands of Illinois families.”
“The launch of the Department of Early Childhood puts the needs of our youngest learners front and center,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “We’re making it easier for parents to find quality care and education, no matter their zip code. This new agency marks a transformative step in ensuring that every child in Illinois has access to the high-quality care and education they deserve.”
Currently, services for young children are housed in three separate agencies: the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Navigating the current system is complex and inefficient, often leaving service gaps and challenges for historically underserved communities. With this new agency, early childhood programs will be unified to improve ease and availability for families and providers seeking state resources, including:
- The Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE, which funds Preschool for All and the Prevention Initiative programs
- The Child Care Assistance Program, Home-Visiting programs, and Early Intervention services at DHS
Day care licensing currently managed by DCFS.
The transition will be led by education expert Ann Whalen, who has a background in education policy and teacher retention, and the Department of Early Childhood will begin administering all new programs in FY27 (July 1, 2026). Until then, programs will continue to be housed in legacy agencies as the State works with educators, parents, providers, and stakeholders to design the ideal framework and practical rollout for the new agency.
Nine Black families interviewed for this story said they felt neglected and disappointed in the Chicago Police Department’s handling of their loved one’s missing person cases — services a majority believed were denied because their relatives were Black.
People searching for their missing loved ones felt abandoned and revictimized by Chicago police. In the face of rude behavior, unanswered phone calls and slow or lackluster investigations where evidence was fumbled or even lost by detectives, friends and family had to conduct their own searches and collect their own evidence.
In worst-case scenarios, people believe police delays and missteps allowed their loved ones to be murdered, leaving perpetrators uncharged or cases unsolved. Moore still wonders if Smith would be alive if police had followed up quickly, examined Smith’s phone and immediately questioned the man Smith was last seen with.
Shirley Enoch-Hill believes she will never find out what happened to her daughter, Sonya Rouse, who dreamed of being a news anchor. When Rouse went missing in 2016 at age 50, Enoch-Hill immediately suspected Rouse’s boyfriend, whom she claims physically abused her daughter throughout their relationship. According to police documents, an Illinois Department of Corrections official offered to arrange an interview between police Detective Brian Yaverski and the boyfriend (who was in an IDOC work release program), but Yaverski “decided to wait.” More than a year later, the boyfriend died of a suspected fentanyl overdose, and Yaverski never interviewed him. (Reporters contacted Yaverski for comment but he did not respond. CPD media affairs also did not respond to a request for comment.)
*** Statehouse News ***
* Press Release | Schmidt highlights support of legislation benefitting Seniors: HB1074 increases the maximum income limitation for the senior freeze to $73,700 for the 2024 taxable year. HB1274 standardizes the senior citizens homestead exemption to $8,000 across all counties and raises the maximum income limitation for the senior citizens assessment freeze to $75,000. HB1219 allows seniors to deduct Medicare premiums from their annual household income to qualify for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.
*** Statewide ***
* Bar News | Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Emily J. Hampton ARDC Commissioner: Ms. Hampton is the Director of Human Resources at Illinois CancerCare, P.C. in Peoria. She manages all strategic and operational functions of Human Resources and Administration over 14 locations throughout Central Illinois. Her work involves employee benefits, recruitment and retention, compensation, legal issues, contracting, and labor relations. She oversees a staff of 550 employees, including more than 20 physicians and over 40 mid-level health care providers. She attends and presents information at bi-weekly physician board meetings.
* Block Club | Walmart Donates Chatham Training Academy To Chicago Urban League A Year After Abruptly Closing: The academy was part of the Chatham Supercenter, which included the Walmart Health Center and a Walmart grocery store. The store and health center spaces remain vacant. Chicago Urban League will pay for the six-figure renovation, helping the group expand its existing job training and entrepreneurship opportunities at the Chatham site, said Karen Freeman-Wilson, president and chief executive officer.
* Block Club | West Nile Virus Found In South Side Mosquitoes: The mosquitoes — the first local ones confirmed to have West Nile in 2024 — were found in Greater Grand Crossing, Roseland and West Pullman, according to a Department of Public Health news release. No cases have been confirmed in humans. To prevent the spread of this virus, Chicagoans can use insect repellent; get rid of standing water where mosquitoes breed; keep grass and weeds short; ensure all screens, windows and doors are tight-fitting and free of holes; and wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing when outside at night, according to the health department.
* Tribune | Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is on track to be a WNBA All-Star — and she’s chasing a Candace Parker record on the way: Reese, who is second in the league in rebounding behind Wilson with 11.1 per game, was seventh in the first returns of fan voting with 118,490 votes. That ranked fourth among non-Olympians behind fellow rookie Clark (second overall), Boston (third) and Ogunbowale (fifth). “Every time that she’s stepped in, she keeps getting better,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “She does things that are incredible. Just to look at her, to see the way that she rebounds basketball — that’s All-Star status.”
* Crain’s | Union that helped build Chicago’s skyline opens new training facility: Ironworkers Local 63, which represented Chicago’s architectural and ornamental ironworkers, opened a 12,000-square-foot glass building at 2525 Lexington St. that will allow the union to simulate the pressurized work its members do such as installing glass windows and frames and other structural metal work on some of the city’s most recognizable buildings.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Shaw Local | St. Charles School Board president resigns from post, but staying on board: Before the vote, Fairgrieve, who has served on the school board since 2017 and as board president since May 2022, made a statement to address her reason for stepping down. “From my perspective, the reason for this agenda item is I am unable to complete all of my presidential duties at this time, specifically as they relate to school board policy 2:110,” Fairgrieve said.
* Sun-Times | Judge won’t overturn man’s murder conviction despite report that found ‘powerful evidence’ he may be innocent: A Cook County judge on Monday denied a man’s request to overturn his murder conviction, even as the state’s attorney’s office said it would not oppose it or seek to retry the case. In a nearly two-hour ruling, Judge Angela Petrone said Kevin Jackson’s latest attempt to overturn his conviction did not cite evidence that had not already been considered by his jury and other courts. In a statement released by his attorneys, Jackson said he believed the decision was “severely irrational and unjust.” His lawyers filed a notice of appeal hours later.
* Reason | Students in This Illinois School District Are Getting Tickets for Misbehaving: Students at an Illinois school district have been receiving tickets for misbehavior, resulting in fines of over $750, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education this month. Further, the complaint alleges that black students in particular were singled out for this punishment—and white students who similarly broke school rules weren’t issued fines as frequently. Rockford Public Schools (RPS) serves a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students, around 30 percent of whom are black, 26 percent are white, and 31 percent are Hispanic. To handle disciplinary infractions, students are sometimes sent to school resource officers (SROs).
* WCIA | Urbana City Council passes budget without increased police funding: The proposed increase in funding for the Urbana Police Department has been a point of contention for weeks amongst the community. Chief Larry Boone wanted it in order to implement his plan for cutting down on crime — including new technology, increased staffing and improved community relations. Others wanted the funding to instead go toward having a more direct impact in the community such as social services and reducing poverty.
*** National ***
* Nieman Lab | Journalism has become ground zero for the vocation crisis:
As an occupation, journalism is attractive to many people because they can be paid to do work that’s interesting and socially beneficial. In this regard, it is similar to otherwise very different jobs like nursing, teaching, social work and caregiving. These are “vocations,” in the sense that sociologist Max Weber described them more than a century ago. Based on strong personal commitments, vocations promise recognition and a sense of self-worth for doing work that’s connected to broader values: healing people, fighting injustice, imparting knowledge, serving the cause of democracy.
* AP | US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency: The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded. “People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe,” Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”
* Bloomberg | Carolina Panthers win $650 million for stadium upgrade: The owner of the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers and Major League Soccer’s Charlotte Football Club has secured $650 million of public funds for a $1.3 billion renovation of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The newly approved plan uses existing hospitality and tourism tax resources to finance Charlotte’s part of the renovation through 2029. The sports group run by billionaire David Tepper, called Tepper Sports & Entertainment, is on the hook for another $150 million over the same time period. Tepper owns both the Panthers and Charlotte FC.
CHICAGO, IL — “Communism has been banned in the United States since 1954 with the Communist Control Act, yet we have numerous government officials who prescribe to Socialist ideology,” said R. Cary Capparelli, Republican candidate for the special two-year term at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Capparelli added, “Communism is a growth of Socialism and we have a mayor in Chicago and other elected officials, all Democrats, that act as a Socialists.” He further noted that at least six (6) aldermen are members of the Chicago City Council Democrat Socialist Caucus.
“Leftists in academia are the foundation of the Socialist movement and they are poisoning our youth with unreasonable expectations. It’s also causing dishonesty in media which is ‘playbook’ Communistic tactic to disrupt honest government,” concluded Capparelli.
Voters are urged to disregard the term ‘progressive’ as it’s clandestine wordage for ‘socialist’. Republican candidates throughout Chicago and Cook County are working diligently to earn votes in the upcoming election to give citizens a real government with strong American values.
Other local Republican candidates in the November election include: Robert Fioretti for State’s Attorney, Lupe Aguirre for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Michelle Pennington for Cook County Clerk, Tien Glaub for Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court and the trio of Claire Connelly, Brendan Ehlers and Richard Dale, all for the six-year term at the MWRD.
Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax Revenue and K-12 Education Funding in Illinois: Volume II, the newest report released today from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA), finds that revenues from a tax on all Illinois businesses have surged in recent years, helping fund local government services, including education, but now are expected to decline sharply, “with important implications for state funding of K-12 education.” The report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, finds that revenue from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) more than tripled between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2023, jumping from $1.33 billion to $4.54 billion. But the Illinois Department of Revenue is expecting a fall of nearly 29% in FY2024. The revenues have been an important contributor to the state’s Evidence Based Formula for Student Success Act (EBF), and current projections show that CPPRT revenue to school districts in fy’25 will be $400 million less than they are in fy’24. “As CPPRT revenue begins to decline in the coming years, the educational services previously funded by some of the unexpected growth in CPPRT revenue will have to be funded with other revenue sources or be cut,” the report says.
The rise in CPPRT, according to the report, is due to a number of relatively unique economic circumstances: the release of pent-up consumer spending that occurred after pandemic restrictions were eased, higher than normal rates of inflation, and many corporations taking advantage of inflationary trends generally and supply chain issues specifically to price gouge and thereby generate record profit. The spike “was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it did help close the statewide Adequacy Gap (in education funding) at a faster rate than anticipated—which is good. On the other hand, the CPPRT is a local revenue source, so the spike that occurred during the Surge Years effectively shifted more K-12 funding to local rather than state level resources, which is not ideal in Illinois, which already relies more on local revenue to fund K-12 education than any other state in the nation.” As CPPRT revenue growth reverts back to historical levels, the statewide Adequacy Gap will begin to worsen annually if the state maintains its current approach of increasing its year-to-year Tier funding by [$350] million, the report says. “Hence the amount of time it takes to fund the EBF fully will lengthen past current projections—which is an undesirable outcome to say the least.”
According to the report, Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax revenue shot up from $1.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2019 to $4.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2023. It’s projected to drop down to $3.2 billion this fiscal year.
(H)istoric highs in CPPRT revenue help explain why CPS moved into the next higher funding Tier under the EBF over the last two fiscal years. Also… other factors—including a reduction in total [Average Student Enrollment ] as well as a reduction in low-income student count, played a role in bumping CPS from Tier 1 into Tier 2. This change in Tiers for CPS was consequential. When CPS moved from a Tier 1 district to a Tier 2 district in FY 2023, the district lost just over half—52 percent—of its anticipated share in new, year-to-year state Tier funding.
A major fiscal complication that arises from using CPPRT as a part of local resources is that it allocates revenue to school districts in accordance with their respective collections of Tangible Personal Property Tax revenue in either 1976 or 1977, depending on whether or not the district is in Cook County. Much has changed in the Illinois landscape over the last half-century, demographically, industry-wise, and economically.
Which means the allocation formula used in the CPPRT is outdated and no longer representative of where businesses exist geographically in Illinois. For example, in FY 2024, CPPRT revenue made up nearly 65 percent of the total Final Resources for Monticello CUSD 25 (“CUSD 25”). Part of the reason CPPRT revenue comprises such a significant portion of CUSD 25’s revenue is that, in 1977 large businesses like Illinois Power and General Cable were sited in CUSD 25’s community—allowing it to collect significant revenue from its assessment of the Tangible Personal Property Tax. Those industries have gone, yet the district’s CPPRT revenue share is determined as if they still exist.
Other districts that did not have as strong of a business or industrial presence in 1976 or 1977 are likely receiving significantly lesser shares of CPPRT revenue, even if they are now home to bigger business entities. This effectively means that CPPRT taxes paid by a business sited in one community are being transferred to the benefit of a school district sited in a different community, based on antiquated allocation design. Fixing these distortions will not be easy—as certain districts would stand to lose significant funding for their schools through any modernization of the CPPRT allocation formula, and should be held harmless by the state to ensure their financial condition is not impaired.
* Twitter went kinda nuts after an NBC Sports Chicago host posted this…
Source: The Bears have made progress in their discussions with Arlington Heights and the school district board for their stadium deal. The belief is that Kevin Warren’s timeline to get a deal done remains aggressive.
* I checked around and was told the story was, um, bovine excrement. “Change ’stadium deal’ to ‘property tax appeal’ and it might be accurate.”
* And now comes the inevitable walkback…
Update: Bears continue to work towards a resolution regarding property taxes with school board and Arlington Heights on the land they own. AH remains hopeful Bears will build their new stadium there. The Bears maintain their stadium focus remains on the museum campus in Chicago.
Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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• A $323.9 million contract to Judlau Contracting Inc., College Point, NY, to reconstruct and reconfigure the southbound side of the I-290/I-88 Interchange on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between the Cermak Toll Plaza and St. Charles Road
A contractor that says its $323 million contract for work on the massive Interstate 294 reconstruction project was improperly terminated has sued the Illinois Tollway.
Judlau Contracting, a New York-based company, says in its lawsuit that it had started work on the interchange of Interstate 290 and Interstate 88 when its contract was terminated by the Illinois Tollway on May 16. The lawsuit, filed in DuPage County Circuit Court, says the action was without proper legal basis and harmed the company’s reputation and overall business.
The company also says the sudden halt in the project could cost taxpayers millions of dollars extra and create safety risks for drivers on the interchange. […]
Judlau said the state agency cited two specific provisions for ending the contract. One specifies that termination can only occur if “there are changed circumstances, the effects of which were not known to the Tollway at the time of execution of the contract, and, for these reasons, the Tollway determines that termination is in its best interest,” according to the complaint. The other provision allows the Tollway to “cancel or alter any or all portions of the work” due to “circumstances either unknown at the time of bidding or arising after the contract was entered into.”
Judlau said it knows of no factors that satisfy those provisions, and that the Tollway did not provide further explanation, responding only several days later by saying “at this time, we do not have any additional information to convey regarding the termination.”
Judlau was chosen as the lowest bidder in 2023 to reconfigure the southbound side of the tangled interchange for about $323 million, the lawsuit states.
The company had hired subcontractors and laborers, moved equipment to the site, secured materials, and was about six weeks into construction when it was dismissed “in a cursory two-sentence letter.”
Pulling the plug on the work will impact hundreds of jobs, Judlau contends, and also create traffic hazards. Workers “left the site in a safe condition via use of temporary barriers — but this is not a permanent solution.”
The tollway has steadfastly refused comment.
* But now we’re finally getting some answers. Marni Pyke…
Tollway officials said in an affidavit they did not initially realize they had to apply a 4% preference, or reduction, to Illinois companies bidding for the job. Judlau is based in New York.
The 4% preference is a relatively new change to the state procurement code that went into effect in December 2023.
The tollway board awarded the contract to Judlau, which was the low bidder over [Walsh Construction], in November.
But in April, “I reviewed the bids submitted … and discovered that the tollway had not allocated a 4% bid preference to the base bid submitted by Walsh, which was and is an Illinois business,” Chief of Procurement Peter Foernssler said, according to court documents.
The tollway misunderstood the mandatory nature of the change in procurement policy, he added.
*Facepalm*
According to Pyke’s story, a DuPage County judge has now issued a temporary restraining order preventing the tollway from hiring another firm.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is urging a Cook County judge to dismiss a lawsuit members of his staff filed against him last month seeking to force recognition of their union.
In a new filing Monday, attorneys for Welch argued the Illinois Legislative Staff Association has no standing to sue over the speaker’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining with the would-be union’s members. Welch’s attorneys reiterated an argument the speaker has been making for nearly a year: Illinois law doesn’t currently allow legislative staffers to unionize.
Although Welch last fall introduced and passed legislation through the House that would explicitly allow his employees to unionize, the bill has not advanced in the Senate. The ILSA last month accused Welch of feigning solidarity in public while privately colluding with Democratic Senate President Don Harmon to ensure the bill died in his chamber. And a few days after the General Assembly’s spring session concluded, the staffers sued Welch.
The speaker’s attorneys pointed to the ILSA’s “failure to appeal” the Illinois Labor Relations Board’s decision to not certify the union in March 2023, which found legislative staffers are specifically excluded from being able to form a union.
Speaker Welch is Immune from Suit Regarding his Interactions With Legislative Staff Under Article IV, Section 12 of the Illinois Constitution Requiring Dismissal Under Section 2-619(a)(1) of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Article IV, Section 12 of the Illinois Constitution, which attaches broad immunity to legislators regarding legislative activities, provides:
SECTION 12. LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY
Except in cases of treason, felony or breach of peace, a member shall be privileged from arrest going to, during, and returning from sessions of the General Assembly. A member shall not be held to answer before any other tribunal for any speech or debate, written or oral, in either house. These immunities shall apply to committee and legislative commission proceedings.
* ISLA organizer Brady Burden…
“These legal gymnastics are embarrassing. Speaker Welch is saying that he is both above the law and shackled by it. The Illinois Constitution unequivocally guarantees us the right to bargain collectively, and we remain confident the courts will ultimately side with us. At the end of the day, Speaker Welch is only continuing to demonstrate his utter lack of shame.”
* ICYMI: Ed Burke sentenced to 24 months in prison. Crain’s…
Ed Burke, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and fined $2 million today for attempting to steer business to his law firm in exchange for helping companies big and small navigate the City Council where he held enormous sway.
Burke, 80 years old, was convicted in December on charges of racketeering, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and promoting bribery, official misconduct and extortion. The sentence was far lighter than what Burke could have received and less than what some had expected.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall acknowledged the sentence of 24 months in prison, coupled with a $2 million fine, is unusual.
“I’ve never done this before,” she said, describing her thinking. “How do we give a sense to the public of some redress for the harm? One of the things I think would give them redress is the fines that are much higher usual. . . .Fines go into the victim crime fund. Part of my sentence is going to be a really significant fine.”
New: Attorneys for House Speaker Chris Welch filed a motion in Cook County Circuit Court today to dismiss a lawsuit that was filed against him last month by legislative staffers seeking to form a union. #twillhttps://t.co/RQS4Qxcgau
* Capitol News Illinois | Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated: But after Friday’s high court ruling, advocates say there is nothing else standing in the way of lawmakers taking up the bill, which last summer was rebranded “Karina’s Bill” after Gonzalez’s murder. The bill would clarify existing state law and require law enforcement to take guns from those subject to certain domestic violence orders of protection. Amanda Pyron, executive director of Chicago-based domestic violence advocacy organization The Network, said it “hit a lot of us really hard” that Friday’s Supreme Court decision was published on the one-year anniversary of Gonzalez’s order of protection against her husband.
* WAND | Pritzker promotes Illinois workforce, innovation during 2024 SelectUSA investment summit: “We are a state that brings workforce, energy and great sites,” Pritzker said. “Just like Governor Youngkin, we invest in our sites to make sure that what you’re looking for is available in the state of Illinois.” Pritzker said he is glad that the Illinois economy has recovered following the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to major investments in renewable energy, manufacturing and quantum technology.
* Capitol Connection | Health insurance industry plans for incoming reforms: There are a number of reforms on the way for the health insurance industry. Governor Pritzker made it a top priority this legislative session, and now health insurance companies are preparing to make the changes. The plan prevents health insurance companies from using a process called step therapies, where they require a patient to use a less expensive option, even if their doctor prescribes something different. It also bans prior authorization for mental health treatments, and it requires health insurance companies to regularly audit their directories.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Tribune | Illinois’ landmark credit card fee law prompting strong opposition: Just last week a trade association representing credit card companies and banks began running online ads in Illinois declaring the ban “MAY FORCE YOU TO PAY FOR PARTS OF PURCHASE IN CASH,” and print ads saying, “Tipping on your credit card is closed to Illinoisans.” While some supporters — which include many Democrats and Illinois’ main association for retailers — say those claims are hyperbolic, the new law is setting up what could be a yearslong fight between the state and financial institutions that argue the overhaul is not only a bad idea but is unrealistic because it calls for implementation in a little more than a year.
* Cook County Record | Former Employee Sues Major Party Supply Company Over Biometric Data Violations: Marquez was employed at Party City’s Naperville, Illinois distribution warehouse from August 26, 2018, to June 20, 2019. According to the complaint, Party City uses voice recognition technology called “Vocollect” to manage its warehouse operations. This technology requires employees to provide voiceprints—unique biometric identifiers created by reading specific words into the system during training. These voiceprints are then stored and used to identify workers during their shifts. The lawsuit alleges that Party City collected these voiceprints without informing employees or obtaining their written consent as mandated by BIPA.
* NBC Chicago | From gas taxes to minimum wage, here are changes coming on July 1 in Illinois: While Illinois’ minimum wage will not go up, residents in Cook County and Chicago will see higher minimum wages starting on July 1. According to city officials, the minimum wage in Chicago will rise to $16.20 an hour, up from $15.80. That number increases annually according to the Consumer Price Index or a rate of 2.5%, whichever is lower, according to officials.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | 47 candidates file for Chicago school board elections: Chicago’s first-ever school board elections will feature 47 candidates vying for 10 seats, a number surpassing most expectations and including parents, former teachers and principals, nonprofit workers and a rapper. The window for hopefuls to submit their minimum 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot closed Monday afternoon with more than two dozen final-day submissions wrapping up the week-long process that kicked off the elections.
* Chalkbeat | Who are the Chicago school board candidates for the 2024 election?: To learn more about the new school board districts and find out which one you live in, Chalkbeat created an interactive map. Many candidates have also begun fundraising for their campaigns, reporting contributions to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
* Daily Herald | Cook County tax bills going out on time in July, officials say: After two years of significant delays blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic and technological problems, the second installment of Cook County property tax bills for Tax Year 2023 will be issued on time next month, officials announced Monday. Nearly 1.8 million tax bills will be accessible online by July 2 and mailed out early in the month, with a due date of Aug. 1, county officials said.
*** Downstate ***
* Advantage | Alton flood reduction measures to be discussed: Alton is kicking around the ways to protect downtown against future flood events. The city has spent millions of dollars building temporary walls and on post-flood cleanup in recent years, so the Riverfront Advisory Commission will hear a “Flood Mitigation Project Update” at the end of Tuesday’s public meeting. Most of the discussion since the topic was first brought up in late 2022 has focused on a permanent flood wall, but Christine Favilla of the local Sierra Club tells The Big Z there are other options.
* WREX | Rockford to host Ironman competition, city announced Monday: The competition, which is being called Ironman 70.3, is set to take place in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The triathlon will consist of swimming, biking and running, that will have athletes compete throughout Rockford as well as the countryside north of the city.
*** National ***
* Tribune | Early adopters, mainstream success, buyer’s remorse — where is the EV market headed?: In 2023, EVs made up 18% of global passenger-vehicle sales. By 2030, according to the report, 45% will be EVs. That number jumps to 73% by 2040 — still short of what the world needs to reach net zero emissions in transportation, the firm says, but enough to achieve major reductions in climate-changing carbon emissions. The long-term outlook adds a bit of glow to more recent news, especially in the U.S. and in California, where an EV sales slowdown, led by Tesla, has spanned two quarters, challenging the state’s climate goals.
* Crain’s | Supreme Court rejects challenge to $2.67B Blue Cross settlement: Justices declined a petition from the home improvement retailer, design consultancy Topographic and benefits provider Employee Services alleging that the settlement does not treat self-insured customers fairly and does not go far enough to promote competition between Blue Cross companies. The court did not specify why it rejected the employers’ request. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled in October that 93.5% of the settlement funds should reimburse individual and small business policyholders that paid monthly premiums for Blue Cross plans and that self-insured employers receive the remaining amount.
* NBC | Texas abortion ban linked to 13% increase in infant and newborn deaths: Lawmakers passed Texas Senate Bill 8, or SB8, in September 2021. The state law banned abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as five weeks. This effectively banned abortion in the state, which used to allow abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The law did not include exemptions for congenital anomalies, including conditions that will cause a newborn to die soon after birth. The new study compared infant death rates in Texas from 2018 to 2022 to those of 28 other states. The data included newborns 28 days or younger and infants up to 12 months old. Infant deaths in Texas rose by nearly 13% the year after SB8 was passed, from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022. During that same period, infant deaths rose by about 2% nationwide.
