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Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Jesse White…

As we approach what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 95th birthday, I am writing to encourage everyone to honor the legacy of the civil rights icon by working to emulate his philosophy through our own lives.

Dr. King’s extraordinary impact on our society remains interconnected with his philosophy of embracing equality and rejecting bigotry and segregation.

In honor of Dr. King, let us commit ourselves to the following: never discriminate or dislike someone because of race, creed or color; learn to love your fellow man and woman; do something good for someone every day; and give back to those less fortunate when you become successful.

I remain indebted to Dr. King’s kindness and guidance. As a college student at Alabama State College, I attended the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in northern Montgomery where Dr. King served as the pastor. I had the privilege of listening and observing him firsthand. He was a breath of fresh air and an inspiration at a time when I was experiencing many challenges and frustrations in Alabama due to segregation. African Americans were not allowed to drink at certain water fountains. We were prohibited from sitting in certain seats on buses and banned from eating at many restaurants.

Following the lead of Dr. King, Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders, I participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott that ultimately led to the desegregation of the public transit system.

The systemic racism I experienced in the south cut deep and left a lifelong impression on me, and I’ve dedicated my life to treating people — all people — with fairness and compassion.

It has been just over a year since I completed my sixth and final term as your Secretary of State, and I remain filled with gratitude for the trust Illinoisans placed in me for 24 years to serve them in such an important role.

In reflecting on my career in public service, I’m forever appreciative of those who helped me along the way — especially during my impressionable college years in Montgomery, AL. It was there that I encountered one of my earliest mentors, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and I continue to do everything I can to honor him through my actions.

* Nina Simone will play us out…

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign update (Updated)

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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House hires new Research and Appropriations Director

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch announced Friday the hiring of a new Research and Appropriations Director, Endra C. Curry. With years of experience managing and analyzing state budgets in South Carolina, Curry was chosen following an extensive nationwide search and will assume the role effective Jan. 22.

“It is my privilege to welcome Ms. Curry to the Illinois House of Representatives as our new budget director,” said Speaker Welch. “Ms. Curry brings with her an exceptional resume filled with valuable work experiences, as well as enthusiasm and a great work ethic, that make her the perfect fit for this role. I look forward to welcoming her to the Capitol this session and working with her on behalf of the people of Illinois.”

Curry joins the Office of the Speaker following a successful career in the South Carolina Senate, where she served as the nonpartisan Director of Financial Policy since 2020, and previously as the Senior Budget Analyst for the Senate Finance Committee.

“I am grateful to Speaker Welch, his office and leadership team, for welcoming me as the new Research and Appropriations Director for the Illinois House Democratic Caucus,” said Curry. “I consider it an honor to serve them and the people of Illinois in this role and look forward to establishing and cultivating relationships with internal and external stakeholders through observation, collaboration, and congeniality. While my time with my native state is at its end, I would be remiss in not recognizing the professional foundation provided to me by the South Carolina Senate, from which I am fortunate to build upon in this next phase of my career. I am thrilled to make the Prairie State my new home.”

“I’m excited to welcome Endra Curry to the Illinois House as our new budget director and I am eager to get to work alongside her this session,” said Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, the chief budget negotiator for the House. “I look forward to Ms. Curry’s perspective on our budget-making process, which has already delivered wins for working families and ushered in 9 credit upgrades for our state.”

Curry also has a range of non-legislative experience, which includes her work as a Federal Relations Officer and National Transportation Advisor at the South Carolina Department of Transportation. She was an adjunct faculty instructor at Virginia College and worked in the non-profit sector supporting individuals with disabilities as a Community Outreach Coordinator at the Babcock Center Foundation. Curry earned both her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Economics and her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina.

“As we welcome Ms. Curry, I also want to thank and congratulate our outgoing director, Mark Jarmer,” said Speaker Welch. “He has provided 15 dedicated years of service to the House of Representatives, and he was an integral part of my transition into the role of Speaker. I also want to thank his wife and children for sharing his talents with us and the state of Illinois. I look forward to his continued success.”

Curry’s first job will be trying to bring some order to her staff, which has been agitating to join a union for months.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times| Pritzker urges Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop migrant dropoffs amid winter storm: ‘I plead with you for mercy’: “We’re trying to prevent those companies from leasing their planes to the state of Texas. You can’t, in general, you can’t tell a group a people or an aircraft that it can’t come somewhere,” Pritzker said. “On the other hand, there are lots of things that I think would be a significant deterrent and they already are working.” Last year, the state tried coordinating with bus operators and organizations at the border to try to gauge the timing of dropoffs. Results of that effort were mixed.

* WGLT | Immigration advocate says dozens of bused migrants are already living in McLean County : Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project based on Normal, said between 75 and 100 people transported north from the southern border since 2022 either got off a bus in McLean County, or came here after leaving a migrant processing center. She said that’s a sign the community can support more asylum seekers if they came here.

* BND | Ethics adviser recommends sanctions for Madison County Board chairman over business cards: Madison County’s ethics adviser is recommending that the County Board sanction Chairman Kurt Prenzler for handing out “campaign-style” business cards while on the job. Adviser Bruce Mattea, a Collinsville attorney, stated in an investigative report that Prenzler violated a county ethics ordinance when he gave the cards to a vendor working at the county administration building last fall and to an assistant state’s attorney.

* ABC Chicago| Supreme Court ruling could affect hundreds charged in Jan. 6 Capitol attack: An Illinois man is the first Jan. 6 rioter to be released from prison while awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could derail dozens of prosecutions, the ABC7 Chicago I-Team has learned. Tom Adams, 42, of Springfield has been released early from a federal penitentiary while the high court looks at what happened three years ago and answers the question: “Is this obstruction?”

* Cain’s | Real estate transfer tax referendum campaign heating up: But the official account could soon be dwarfed by an independent expenditure committee led by campaign veteran Greg Goldner, founder of Resolute Public Affairs. Goldner has run dark-money campaigns in Illinois politics for over a decade, including two efforts last year that spent almost $400,000 in support of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s fourth-place finish in Chicago’s mayoral race before spending just under $900,000 in opposition to Johnson in his runoff race against Paul Vallas. According to sources familiar with his pitch, Goldner has asked developers for six-figure sums. Goldner confirmed to Crain’s he’ll be involved in the opposition campaign, saying the tax changes have “implications well beyond a few nice homes in the city.”

* Tribune | First lady Jill Biden, Halle Berry stop at UIC to promote women’s health research: First lady Jill Biden traveled to the University of Illinois at Chicago Thursday to tout a White House initiative to expand research on women’s health issues that include menopause. Biden was joined by actress Halle Berry in speaking about the historical lack of investment in women’s health research nationwide.

* Lake County News-Sun | Former North Chicago officer receives $475K settlement in suit against city: The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Thursday said it negotiated the settlement on behalf of Ramtin Sabet. Sabet, who joined the North Chicago police department in 2007, faced “relentless harassment” on the job based on his Iranian background and Muslim religion, according to CAIR. The hostile work environment led to Sabet’s termination in 2016, CAIR said.

* WCIA | USDA grants to increase ethanol-based fuel at IL gas stations: The funds come as a result of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, a byproduct of the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the program will help install more dispensers and storage tanks at gas stations across the state.

* Sun-Times | Expensive program to get high-risk teens back in school is off to a slow start: According to a new University of Chicago analysis, Back to Our Future is struggling to connect with the kids targeted by the program. And even those who sign up are not participating at the intended level. In the first pilot year, 446 students joined the program, 32 students have completed high school, and another 71 students have reengaged in school, according to CPS.

* CBS | Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois kicks off 2024 Cookie Season: Consumers can now order from the iconic cookie lineup and support local girl entrepreneurs earning funds that fuel amazing experiences in the outdoors, STEM, and beyond. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois kicked off the 2024 Girl Scout Cookie season, the annual event in which Girl Scouts unbox their futures as young female entrepreneurs through the world’s largest entrepreneurial program for girls.

* Block Club | Here Are 17 Ways To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day This Year: Want to give the family a fun and productive Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Chicago has plenty of options. There are basketball tournaments, panel discussions, family days, skate parties, sing-alongs and more being held to honor the civil rights leader and Baptist minister, born January 15 nearly 100 years ago.

* Axios | States’ big 2024 health plans: Workforce support and cheaper drugs: As state legislatures get back to work across the country, state policymakers are eying measures to bolster their burned-out health care workforces, make prescription drugs more affordable and reform their Medicaid programs. Policymaking in Washington tends to slow down in a presidential election year, and the current Congress — so far the least productive in decades — has struggled to advance even bipartisan health measures.

* Crain’s | More than 1,000 flights canceled at O’Hare, Midway: At O’Hare, 391 departures, or 39%, and 374 arrivals, or 37%, had been scrapped. Midway had 140 departure cancellations, or 50% and 136, or 56%, for arriving flights, according to FlightAware.

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Harmon uses formerly CTU-backed bill against a CTU-backed candidate

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tina Sfondeles on November 8 of last year…

The CTU, which has always supported a fully elected [Chicago school board], prefers [Rep. Ann Williams’ hybrid, half-elected half-appointed House plan], in part because it would give the union more time to choose candidates and raise campaign funds. The union would only have to find 10 candidates, as opposed to 20, under the House Democrats’ plan. And the union’s political action committee will have to play catch-up after contributing a hefty $2.46 million to Johnson’s mayoral campaign.

In other words, as I wrote in a subsequent newspaper column, why spend precious dollars on 10 extra elections if the mayor you elected will appoint your people for free?

* But Greg Hinz reported this week on another aspect to this fight. As you know, Senate President Don Harmon moved a fully elected school board bill during veto session which he said (accurately) was done at the behest of the CTU. There’s more to it, however…

Amid that standoff, a fight for a state Senate seat now held by appointed Harmon ally Natalie Toro has turned red-hot. Toro was named by Democratic ward committeemen to replace Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who resigned to take a top job with the Johnson administration, where she has, among other things, overseen the city’s migrant response. Now that her Senate seat term is ending, progressives badly want the position back. They’re backing CTU organizer Graciela Guzman in the March primary. There also are two other candidates in the race, physician Dr. David Nayak and former radio account executive Geary Jonker.

CTU has made the race a top priority, with progressive groups stepping up precinct work and big checks from teachers unions beginning to arrive in Guzman’s warchest. Harmon in turn dropped $500,000 into Toro’s campaign earlier this week — and according to Guzman is responsible for an internet push poll that asserts, “Guzman’s political organization is attempting to stall Natalie Toro’s plan to fully elect the school board now and wants to keep the school board out of the hands of voters.”

Harmon, in a phone interview, said he’s not familiar with the internet item but that campaigns “often test out different messages.”

Harmon termed “baloney” charges from CTU insiders that he is using the Toro seat as leverage, offering to finally approve the hybrid school board bill if the union will drop its opposition to Toro, who also is a CTU member but has a poor relationship with union leaders. “We’re committed to a fully elected school board,” Harmon said. The only reason he supported a hybrid bill a few years ago was that it was the most that CTU could get out of the Legislature given the opposition to a totally elected board by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Harmon said.

Heh.

Toro’s Senate Democratic advertising campaign has positioned her as a progressive CTU member. So, Sen. Toro votes for a fully elected school board, which has been politically popular (and likely still polls well if they’re using this tactic), then blasts her primary opponent for conspiring to obstruct the beloved reform.

It’s almost like the Senate Democrats used the entire chamber last fall to weaponize an issue on behalf of a single appointed member facing a tough primary challenge.

Maybe more than almost.

…Adding… From Senate President Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson…

“’Baloney’ was the one-word take on this theory, and “baloney” is about as profane as Don Harmon gets. The legislation we passed is our attempt to best ensure the most diverse representation of all voters of the City of Chicago. That’s the only motivation.”

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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Starting off with the Sunshine State. Axios…

A Florida school district is pulling nearly 2,000 books from its shelves — including some dictionaries and encyclopedias — to make sure they abide by a new state law.

The state law, which prohibits schools from carrying books that describe sexual content, comes as Florida continues to get pushback over its titles banned in prisons and classrooms.

Northern Florida’s Escambia County School District has taken away over 1,600 titles for review, including five dictionaries and eight different encyclopedias, according to PEN America earlier this week.

Part of the legislation, known as HB 1069, “expands parental rights in education by prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Pre-K through 8th grade,” according to the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

* Ohio…

A second transgender woman’s attempt to run for public office in Ohio was challenged under a decades-old law that requires candidates to disclose previous legal names on election documents.

Arienne Childrey, a Democrat vying for a seat in the Ohio house of representatives, learned late last week that the head of her county’s Republican party, Robert Hibner, asked the local board of elections to reject her campaign petition.

Hibner’s letter to election officials comes just days after Vanessa Joy, also a trans woman, was disqualified from running for the Ohio state house. Both Joy and Childrey are accused of violating a 1995 Ohio statute that requires political candidates to disclose any legal name changes within five years of the election. […]

“I wasn’t surprised to get the phone call. Once the articles started coming out about Vanessa’s story, I knew there was a bullseye on us,” Childrey said.

* Another one from Florida. Newsweek…

More than 1,500 books have been temporarily removed from a Florida school district this week, including two written by former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.

The Florida Freedom to Read Project recently obtained a list of books that have been temporarily removed from libraries in the Escambia County Public School District, which included encyclopedias, The Guinness Book of World Records and two books from conservative pundit O’Reilly: Killing Jesus: A History, and Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency.

According to Pen America, the list also contains titles from David Baldacci, Stephen King, John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks.

In a statement to Newsweek, Escambia County Public Schools Superintendent Keith Leonard said: “I want to clarify that our district has not imposed a ‘ban’ on over 1600 books. Additionally, the dictionary has not been banned in our district. Any claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and should be disregarded.”

* Ohio…

An Ohio woman facing a criminal charge for her handling of a home miscarriage will not be charged, a grand jury decided Thursday.

The Trumbull County prosecutor’s office said grand jurors declined to return an indictment for abuse of a corpse against Brittany Watts, 34, of Warren, resolving a case that had sparked national attention for its implications for pregnant women as states across the country hash out new laws governing reproductive health care access.

A municipal judge had found probable cause to bind over Watts’ case. That was after city prosecutors said she miscarried, flushed and scooped out the toilet, then left the house, leaving the 22-week-old fetus lodged in the pipes. Her attorney told the judge Watts had no criminal record and was being “demonized for something that goes on every day.” An autopsy determined the fetus died in utero and identified “no recent injuries.”

Watts had visited Mercy Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital, a Catholic facility in working-class Warren, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Cleveland, twice in the days leading up to her miscarriage. Her doctor had told her she was carrying a nonviable fetus and to have her labor induced or risk “significant risk” of death, according to records of her case.

Due to delays and other complications, her attorney said, she left each time without being treated. After she miscarried, she tried to go to a hair appointment, but friends sent her to the hospital. A nurse called 911 to report a previously pregnant patient had returned reporting “the baby’s in her backyard in a bucket.”

* Texas…

Texas state officials this week abruptly blocked federal U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering and patrolling a public area in the border town of Eagle Pass where they typically first encounter migrants who cross the Rio Grande illegally, two U.S. officials told CBS News on Thursday.

After seizing control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas National Guard units deployed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have prevented Border Patrol agents from entering the area, the federal officials said. Border Patrol has used the park in recent weeks to hold migrants in an outdoor staging area before they are transported for further processing, including last month, when illegal crossings soared to record levels.

Earlier Thursday, Texas state officials prevented Border Patrol boats from patrolling that area, one of the officials added, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. […]

In a filing early Friday with the Supreme Court, the Justice Department described the extraordinary standoff between Texas and the federal government. Citing testimony from local officials and photos, the Justice Department said Texas was using armed Guardsmen and vehicles to deny Border Patrol agents and federal National Guard soldiers access to roughly 2.5 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

* Texas…

Kate Cox was pregnant with her third child when she learned the baby had a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 18. Cox and her husband, Justin, were informed by their doctors that if their child survived the pregnancy, her life expectancy would be at best a week. With the baby’s health at risk as well as her own, Kate and Justin Cox sued the state of Texas for the right to have an abortion.

In her first interview since the Texas Supreme Court ruled against her, Cox talks about the case, her decision to have an abortion in New Mexico, and more in an interview with Tracy Smith for “CBS News Sunday Morning,” to be broadcast Sunday, January 14 on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

Cox was 20 weeks pregnant when she and her husband filed the lawsuit seeking an exception to Texas’ ban on abortions because of the baby’s condition and the health risks to Cox. On December 11, while the Coxes were in New Mexico, the Texas Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling, saying Kate Cox did not qualify for a medical exemption to the abortion ban.

According to the couple’s attorney Molly Duane, the Texas Supreme Court said “essentially, Kate wasn’t sick enough [for an exemption].”

* Washington Post…

Republican governors in 15 states are rejecting a new federally funded program to give food assistance to hungry children during the summer months, denying benefits to 8 million children across the country.

The program is expected to serve 21 million youngsters starting around June, providing $2.5 billion in relief across the country.

The governors have given varying reasons for refusing to take part, from the price tag to the fact that the final details of the plan have yet to be worked out. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said she saw no need to add money to a program that helps food-insecure youths “when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said bluntly, “I don’t believe in welfare.”

Republican leaders have been criticized for playing politics with children in need, but they argue it is necessary to revert to pre-pandemic spending levels at a time when the United States is trillions of dollars in debt and lawmakers in Washington are struggling to come to a budget agreement. The summer food program was approved as part of a bipartisan budget agreement in 2022.

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Chicago ‘paused’ opening new shelters on 12/22, plans shelter ‘rightsizing’ in face of budget problems

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This was distributed by the city during a briefing about new arrivals today…

Kinda makes you wonder if the city intends to just dump folks into the street.

Meanwhile, Texas keeps sending people here.

…Adding… So, they told legislators they’re pausing new shelters and downsizing them, and then told the news media this, according to the Tribune…

Mayor Brandon Johnson is delaying enforcing his 60-day migrant shelter limit policy for the first group of asylum-seekers who were due to be required to leave this month, his administration announced Friday as heavy snowfall and low wind chills pummeled the city.

Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services, said the first migrants set to be kicked out of the city shelters next Tuesday — about 50 of them, who have been in the system since 2022 — will no longer need to leave by then. Those due to leave between then and Jan. 21 will also be allowed to stay “until at least Jan. 22nd,” she said.

…Adding… Pritzker tries to appeal to Abbott’s humanity…

January 12, 2024

Governor Abbott,

The ongoing international migration crisis that our nation faces demands a strong, compassionate, and humane response. We agree that our nation needs immigration reform, but instead of advocating for that, you have chosen to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points. You are now sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter — many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow — to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here. Chicago’s temperatures this weekend are forecast to drop below zero. Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals. Hundreds of children’s and families’ health and survival are at risk due to your actions.

We refuse to play your political game of exploiting the most vulnerable for the sake of culture wars and talking points. You seem to have no interest in working on bipartisan solutions to the border crisis because that would put an end to your cruel political game, but I am writing to you today hoping to appeal to your humanity. Over the coming days, Illinois will experience a dangerous winter storm and subzero temperatures. I strongly urge you to stop sending people to Illinois in these conditions. You are dropping off asylum seekers without alerting us to their arrivals, at improper locations at all hours of the night. As we grapple with the existing challenges of your ongoing manufactured crisis, the next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here. I am pleading with you to at least pause these transports in order to save lives.

There is much more that needs to be done by the federal government to provide aid to asylum seekers and to secure the border. I understand that the border crisis is untenable for border states. Illinois, and all other states, especially Texas, ought to lobby Congress immediately to vote for bipartisan immigration reform.

While action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves. Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state. We are asking you to help prevent additional deaths. We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act. But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now.

Sincerely,
Governor JB Pritzker
State of Illinois

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

*SB2720 from Sen. Julie Morrison…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may not issue to or allow the renewal or retention of a driver’s license or permit by anyone who possesses a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification Card unless: (i) the applicant’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card is successfully reinstated or (ii) the applicant surrenders possession of the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card to the Illinois State Police. Amends the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall provide the Secretary with a notice of any individual who fails to surrender a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification Card.

* WBEZ…

Illinois lawmakers will be picking up where they left off on Tuesday. […]

Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on in the months ahead: […]

Karina Gonzalez of Chicago was shot and killed in July 2023 by her husband, against whom she had an order of protection. But he still lived in their shared home and had access to his guns. This legislation would require Illinois State Police to revoke firearms from the home when an abuse victim is granted an order of protection. It passed the House in May and is awaiting Senate action. […]

State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) are promoting a plan to put wind turbines to Lake Michigan. The goal with the “Rust Belt to Green Belt” fund is to eventually build a 150 megawatt wind turbine project somewhere off the Illinois shores of Lake Michigan. It passed the House by a comfortable margin and is awaiting action in the Senate. […]

The Illinois House passed a measure that would let legislative staffers at the state Capitol unionize. It gives the Illinois Labor Relations Board oversight of employees of the General Assembly and sets parameters for how bargaining should take place. It’s now in the Senate, but members of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association (ILSA), who spearheaded the bill, said there’s still a lot of work to do on it.

* HB4431 was filed by Rep. Jeff Keicher yesterday…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Removes language providing that the examination of an applicant for a driver’s license or permit who is 75 years of age or older or, if the Secretary of State adopts rules to raise the age requirement for actual demonstrations, the examination of an applicant who has attained that increased age or is older shall include an actual demonstration of the applicant’s ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor vehicle. Effective January 1, 2025.

* Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass filed HB4427…

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Provides that one representative of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman (instead of one representative of the Department on Aging) is a nonvoting member of the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Advisory Board. Adds a certified long term care ombudsman and 3 current or former residents of an assisted living establishment or shared housing establishment as voting members of the Board.

* HB4435 from Rep. Katie Stuart…

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer’s employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately.

* HB4434 from Rep. Terra Costa Howard…

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.

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Open thread

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield next week, here’s some things to keep an eye on. WBEZ…

    - The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning wants to merge Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority into one regional agency as part of an attempt to close a $730 million budget deficit.
    - Plans for a wide ranging “cannabis omnibus” bill fizzled in the final days of 2023’s spring session, but cannabis advocates in the legislature are still pushing forward.
    - State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) are promoting a plan to put wind turbines to Lake Michigan.

    * Isabel’s top picks…

    * SJ-R | Still on the ballot: ISBOE denies objection to Illinois 95th House District candidate : ISBOE records showed Chiaro signed Coburn’s nomination papers who was running in the same district. Michael Kasper, Chiaro’s attorney, however, said the candidate remained eligible since she signed her own nomination papers on Sept. 30 before signing Coburn’s on Oct. 31.

    * Crain’s | Plan to elect Chicago school board hits political land mines: The twin battles pit the Chicago Teachers Union and progressive groups against Senate President Don Harmon and more centrist Democrats, with Mayor Brandon Johnson potentially playing a key intermediary role. Until a deal is reached, the rules that guide board elections mandated by a 2021 state law are uncertain — including whether all 20 board members and the chair will be elected this November, or whether voters will elect only 10, with Johnson temporarily selecting another 10 plus a chair for a hybrid board that would run schools until another election in 2026.

    * WTTW | What a Permanent Child Tax Credit Could Mean for Families in Illinois: The expansion of the child tax credit during the pandemic — which included cash payments to families for six months — lifted more than 2 million children out of poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. […] State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights) is a chief co-sponsor of a bill in the state House that would enact a permanent child tax credit.

* Governor JB Pritzker heads to Iowa to campaign with President Biden ahead of the Republican Caucus. He will be holding a news conference in Des Moines on Monday at 2:30 pm.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Jan 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped ScribbleLive from working…

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. Adam Niemerg was kicked off the ballot…


* Press release…

CHICAGO—Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois secured 14.9M in competitive federal grant funding from the US Department of Transportation’s FY22-FY23 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), in its role as the Illinois Climate Bank, was chosen to receive the $14.9M to support the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Illinois.

“As Illinois moves toward a clean energy future, it is imperative that no communities are left behind,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This investment from our partners at the federal level will ensure Illinois has the resources to make electric vehicles accessible to all our residents. With the incredible work from the Illinois Finance Authority, regional partners, and local leadership, I have no doubt the Community Charging Program will make a positive impact statewide.”

The proposed project, “The State of Illinois Community Charging Program,” aims to advance community-based transportation efforts across Illinois and prioritize equity in the clean energy movement. The statewide initiative is a joint effort between the Illinois Climate Bank as well as local and regional partners, serving 273 project sites (144 of which are located in or in close proximity to disadvantaged communities). The funds will support construction of 845 Level 2 EV Charging stations, and 36 DC Fast Charge stations.

Of the total $18.7M project investment:

    - 43% will be allocated for disadvantaged community projects.
    - 63% will be designated to dense urban communities with a high percentage of multi-family housing, as well as rural communities and small towns.

* Tribune…

Illinois set another record for recreational cannabis sales in 2023, with more than $1.6 billion in sales — but sales to out-of-state residents showed a significant drop.

Sales to Illinois residents increased by 14%, but sales to out-of-state visitors fell by 14%, reflecting increased competition from Michigan and newly legalized marijuana in Missouri and Minnesota.

Out-of-state customers accounted for one quarter of revenue, but with Wisconsin lawmakers considering legalizing medical marijuana, those sales are likely to decrease further in the future.

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker visited the Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) Cancer Institute today to announce a $10M grant to Southern Illinois Healthcare for their recent expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute in Carterville. The grant is made possible through the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois plan to improve infrastructure statewide.

“As Governor, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of Illinoisans — no matter their zip code or income status,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I couldn’t be prouder to announce that we have awarded the SIH Cancer Institute $10 million in Rebuild Illinois grant funding to help cover the cost of this recent project. After years of planning, design, and construction, each and every one of those patients, and many more, will have access to the modernized healing spaces and the quality, holistic care they deserve.”

The 10M general investment, will be utilized for upgrades to facility furniture, medical equipment, and the buildout of the Cancer Institute in Carterville. The Carterville plan, completed in December of 2022, included an approximate 20,000 square foot expansion and the modernization of both clinical and non-clinical areas.

The State is also awarding two additional capital grants to SIH. The first, totaling $150,000, will support the expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute Café, which serves 300 cancer patients with nutrient-appropriate meals daily as well as caregivers and employees.

The second, also totaling $150,000, will be dedicated to costs for the design, oversight, and implementation of kitchen renovations. The expanded kitchen space will provide space for high nutrient-value meal preparation workshops and demonstrations, led by the SIH oncology dietitian.

* Sun-Times…

The Bears own the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property but continue to flirt with the city of Chicago and other suburbs about building a new stadium. When president/CEO Kevin Warren was asked Wednesday whether the Arlington Heights property remained his priority, he said instead that “the priority is to make sure we build a world class stadium for our fans.”

The Bears are still talking to Arlington Heights officials to try to drive down their property tax assessment there. They’ve discussed staying on the lakefront, including building on a parking lot south of Soldier Field, with city officials.

“What intrigues me about downtown is I strongly believe Chicago is the finest city in all of the world,” Warren said. “Very rarely do you get the opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown with a vibrant business community, with an absolutely beautiful lake and the energy that goes along [with it].”

The Bears could decide on their next stadium site in the next few months. Warren said it would likely take three years to build the stadium from the moment construction begins.

* On this day…


* Here’s the rest…

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Illinois Policy Institute ran $2.5 million deficit in 2022 as revenues fell by almost half, but group anticipates rebound

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I get lots of emails every day and some pique my interest more than others. This one, slightly edited for style, was about the Illinois Policy Institute as well as its companion 501(c)(4), the Government Accountability Alliance…

IPI’s 2022 tax filing (attached) shows their revenue is down by nearly half, from $9.9M in 2021 to $5.2M in 2022. They ran a $2.5M deficit in 2022 (!). Their c4 arm’s revenue was flat, so the money isn’t being shifted there.

Also, notably, the 2022 IRS filing for the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation (attached) shows no contribution to IPI in 2022. Uihlein gave IPI $1.5M in 2021 (attached p.37) and more than $19M since 2010 … So Uihlein pulling out certainly explains part of the big drop.

Grant funding from the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation was down across the board, from $18.4M in 2021 to $5.5M in 2022. Of course, Uihlein gave a ton to political efforts like Bailey in 2022, so it seems like it might signal a shift for the Uihleins from funding conservative non-profits to just spending directly on races.

The Daily Beast had a good article recently about Uihlein giving to electoral efforts. One of Uihlein’s main spending vehicles is “Restoration for America” which is based in Illinois and led by Doug Truax, who lost to Oberweis in the 2014 senate GOP primary.

* I asked the IPI about the 2022 revenue drop and deficit…

Rich,

Those numbers only reflect the 501(c)(3) [Illinois Policy Institute].

Variations in organizational revenue and expenditures can primarily be attributed to: 1) large, one-time gifts for specific initiatives in 2021 and; 2) increase in expenses on Amendment 1.

Our 2022 revenue between our C3 and C4 totals were similar to those in 2018 and 2019.

We are encouraged by the growth in new supporters we saw in 2023 and we see continuing in 2024, even as many wealthy individuals leave the state. We anticipate a strong year in 2024.

* OK, you can click here to see the IPI’s 990s, and click here to see the IPI’s Government Accountability Alliance’s (GAA) 990s.

The IPI ran some smallish deficits last decade, but nothing close to the $2.51 million deficit it experienced in 2022.

And while the combined revenues for both the IPI and its c4 GAA were similar to those in 2018, there’s been quite a bit of inflation since then. So, the $10.63 million the two organizations raised during 2018 would have been $12.56 million by the end of 2022. That’s $1.59 million more than the groups actually raised in 2022.

* Historical revenues for both the c3 IPI and c4 GAA using those two links above…

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Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Short-term budget gimmick creates $200 million hole next fiscal year

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Dave McKinney…

Prior to the 2023 tax year, the standard [Illinois income tax] exemption increased 10 times under an automatic escalator tied to inflation put into effect in 2012 by former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who served as the state’s chief executive between 2009 and 2015. The change roughly a decade ago had overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature.

But the standard exemption will remain flat this tax-filing season at $2,425 for those who declare adjusted gross income of $250,000 or less individually or $500,000 or less for married couples.

State revenue officials say more than 11 million Illinoisans claim the standard exemption on their taxes each year. Because of the inflation-indexing mechanism, the exemption has risen from $2,000 to $2,425 since 2011.

Had lawmakers and the governor not put a pause on that inflationary adjustment, the standard exemption would have stood at $2,625 for tax year 2023. That $200 increase would have marked the largest jump in the exemption since the inflationary index was enacted. That’s because the nation’s consumer price index increased 8% in 2022 – the largest inflationary move since 1981.

By WBEZ’s calculations, the state income tax obligation for a married couple with two minor children and adjusted gross income of $150,000 would be $39 higher than it would have been this tax year had the standard exemption tracked the rate of inflation in 2023.

$39 for a household earning roughly double the median household income ain’t exactly a whole lot of money. Our standard exemption is basically a joke. It’s so small mainly because of the state constitution’s mandate that the income tax must be imposed at a “non-graduated rate.”

* But here’s the problem: The change saved the state budget $114 million this fiscal year, but as the article notes, the costs will rise next year…

The current law states that the inflationary index will be reimposed for tax year 2024. But it promises to come with a significant price tag – approximately $200 million, according to an estimate by the legislature’s non-partisan budget arm, the Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability.

$200 million is real money.

* Back to Dave’s story…

Emails obtained through an open-records request to Pritzker’s budget office show that a Senate Democratic staffer appeared to initially raise freezing the standard exemption as the revenue omnibus was being negotiated last May between the offices of the governor, Senate president and House speaker.

*** UPDATE *** This change was part of SB1963, which was an omnibus tax bill. From a subscriber…

An additional observation: the CPI-adjustment was actually scheduled to sunset on 12/31/2023. PA 103-0009 extended it until 2028, at the fixed amount of $2,425 for two years and then back to inflation adjusted for 2025-2028 when it will sunset.

And if it had actually sunset in 2023 as scheduled, the exemption would revert way back to just $1,000.

Interesting.

  7 Comments      


Out-of-state abortions in Illinois rose by 49% in 2022

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune…

More than 56,000 abortions were performed in Illinois the year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, marking the most pregnancy terminations statewide since the mid-1990s, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s annual abortion statistics report.

The rise in abortions that year was driven by a roughly 49% spike in out-of-state patients: Nearly 17,000 people came from other states to Illinois to terminate a pregnancy in 2022 compared with roughly 11,000 abortion seekers who traveled from other states in 2021, the data showed.

In contrast, the number of Illinois residents having abortions in-state decreased slightly, from a little over 40,000 in 2021 to nearly 39,000 in 2022.

Abortions overall increased by about 9% from 2021 to 2022, according to the report, which was released Tuesday and includes the most recent state health department data on abortion available.

Click here for the IDPH statistics.

* Daily Herald…

It’s a familiar trend for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, President Jennifer Welch said Wednesday.

“Out-of-state patients now make up nearly a quarter of our abortion patients. This is direct evidence of abortion bans and restrictions negatively impacting the ability for people to equitably access care,” Welch said. […]
The largest demographic receiving abortions in 2022 comprised 36,444 women ages 18 through 29.

The smallest demographic comprised 1,615 patients under age 18. However, that younger group experienced the highest percentage increase in abortions, 25%, since 2021 when 1,297 occurred.

“Abortion rates for all ages fluctuate year to year, so it’s difficult to draw conclusions from one year’s data,” Welch said. “However consistently the largest age group PPIL sees is 20 to 34-years-old, making up nearly 75% of our patients.

* Related…

    * The Tennessean | Planned Parenthood opens Illinois clinic aimed at patients in Tennessee and other abortion-ban states: “The new Planned Parenthood health center in Illinois means Carbondale will continue to be a safe place to access abortion care within a four-hour drive for most patients in Middle and West Tennessee,” said Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, in a written statement. “This adds to the access already provided by Choices Center for Reproductive Health of Carbondale, and countless patients in Tennessee are grateful for their care.”

    * NYT | Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country: Twenty-one states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which governed reproductive rights for nearly half a century until the Supreme Court overturned the decision last year.

  1 Comment      


It’s just a bill

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Dan McConchie filed SB2707…

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for an individual taxpayer who is a medical professional in a community-based practice who serves without compensation as a preceptor for at least one student from a qualifying institution in Illinois and provides clinical instruction for students from a non-Illinois based program for compensation in the same tax year. Provides that the credit shall be $200 per qualifying student per week, but not to exceed $9,600 per taxpayer in any tax year. Effective immediately.

* HB4423 from Rep. Jason Bunting…

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates within the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board a Recruitment Division. Provides that the Division shall establish a Back the Badge program, which shall establish recruitment plans for law enforcement agencies. Provides that the Division shall determine and prioritize specific characteristics that a law enforcement agency and community desire in their police officers. Provides that the Division shall cooperate with law enforcement agencies to determine a strategy to hire and retain sworn police officers who are diverse and reflective of the community and the priorities of the law enforcement agencies.

* SB2669 from Sen. Jil Tracy…

Creates the Agricultural Equipment Repair Bill of Rights Act. Provides that, for the purpose of providing services for agricultural equipment in the State, an original equipment manufacturer shall, with fair and reasonable terms and costs, make available to an independent repair provider or owner of the manufacturer’s equipment any documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools that are intended for use with the equipment or any part, including updates to documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools. Provides that, with respect to agricultural equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, a manufacturer shall, with fair and reasonable terms and costs, make available to independent repair providers and owners any documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools needed to reset the lock or function when disabled in the course of providing services. Provides that the manufacturer may make the documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools available to independent repair providers and owners through appropriate secure release systems. Provides that these provisions do not apply to a part that is no longer available to the original equipment manufacturer or conduct that would require the manufacturer to divulge a trade secret. Provides that a manufacturer shall not refuse to make available to an independent repair provider or owner any documentation, part, embedded software, firmware, or tool necessary to provide services on grounds that the documentation, part, embedded software, firmware, or tool itself is a trade secret, except that information necessary to repair agricultural equipment may not be redacted. Provides exceptions. Defines terms.

* Sen. Laura Ellman introduced SB2682 yesterday…

Creates the Increasing Representation of Women in Technology Task Force Act, and creates the Increasing Representation of Women in Technology Task Force. Includes provisions concerning Task Force membership, meetings, and duties. Provides that the State of Illinois Office of Equity shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2030. Effective immediately.

* SB2705 from Sen. Laura Fine…

Amends the PFAS Reduction Act. Requires, on or before January 1, 2026, a manufacturer of a product sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the State that contains intentionally added PFAS to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency specified information. Allows the Agency to waive the submission of information required by a manufacturer or extend the amount of time a manufacturer has to submit the required information. Provides that, if the Pollution Control Board has reason to believe that a product contains intentionally added PFAS and the product is being offered for sale in the State, the Board may direct the manufacturer of the product to provide the Board with testing results that demonstrate the amount of each of the PFAS in the product. Provides that, if testing demonstrates that the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS, the manufacturer must provide the Board with a certificate attesting that the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS. Restricts the sale of specified products beginning January 1, 2025 if the product contains intentionally added PFAS. Allows the Agency to establish a fee payable by a manufacturer to the Agency upon submission of the required information to cover the Agency’s reasonable costs to implement the provisions. Allows the Agency to coordinate with the Board, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health to enforce the provisions. Sets forth products that are exempt from the provisions.

* SB2706 from Sen. Laura Murphy…

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a Fleet Electrification Incentive Program to promote the use of electric trucks by fleet owners by offering a voucher of $200,000 per electric Class 6 truck, electric Class 7 truck, or electric Class 8 truck purchased or leased for a fleet by the fleet’s owner or operator. Provides that an applicant shall submit a proof of purchase, lease, or other binding contract regarding the electric Class 6 truck, electric Class 7 truck, or electric Class 8 truck in order to be awarded the voucher. Requires an applicant who is awarded a voucher to agree to participate in annual surveys on specified metrics. Contains other program requirements. Defines “Class 6 truck”, “Class 7 truck”, and “Class 8 truck”.

  5 Comments      


Open thread

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

  8 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: State opens migrant shelter, Pritzker talks supplemental spending plan. Capitol News Illinois…

    - The new shelter is slated to host about 220 migrants in a former CVS location in Little Village.
    - Pritzker said his administration is exploring ways to deter bus companies and airlines from transporting more migrants to the city from the southern border.

* Related stories…

* Isabel’s top picks…

Governor Pritzker will be at the Southern Illinois Health Care Center in Carterville at 10 am, click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

  9 Comments      


Live coverage

Thursday, Jan 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped ScribbleLive from working…

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

The Highland Park massacre suspect agreed Wednesday to postpone his trial, which had been set for late February, but a judge won’t set a trial date until later next month.

Robert Crimo III, accused of killing seven people at a Fourth of July parade in 2022, had invoked his right to a speedy trial last month after dismissing his lawyers, and a jury trial was set for Feb. 26.

But that date was scrapped in court Wednesday, with Crimo consenting. A new date was not set because lawyers couldn’t agree on one.

Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti said she’ll set a new trial date on Feb. 21.

* Politico…

The Illinois Senate Democratic Fund, headed by Senate President Don Harmon, just plopped $500,000 into Natalie Toro’s primary race. That’s on top of nearly $200,000 from ISDF in December.

Toro is the recently appointed state senator — and Chicago Public Schools teacher — who’s trying to hold on to the 20th District seat on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

She faces Graciela Guzman, who lost out to Toro last year in getting appointed to the seat that opened up when Cristina Pacione-Zayas left to join Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. Guzman worked on Pacione-Zayas’ Senate staff, but she was edged out by Toro’s supporters in the appointment process.

Must-watch race: Now the two women are facing each other again in one of the of the most consequential races in this year’s primary. It pits the moderate Democrat Toro against progressive Democrat Guzman, who has the support of the Chicago Teachers Union — which fueled Johnson’s progressive campaign. […]

Fundraising is playing a huge role: the ISDF’s latest gift puts Toro at about $1 million. Guzman is trailing with some $200,000 on hand. (We’re going by third-quarter filings and some math.)

Four candidates are in this primary race, but click here to watch Toro’s new ad.

* Chalkbeat…

About 1 in 5 of roughly 2,300 out-of-school, out-of-work youth contacted to participate in a new reengagement program in Chicago took part during the first year, according to a new policy brief from the University of Chicago Crime Lab.

In Chicago, roughly 45,000 teens and young adults are disconnected from school and work. With $18 million from the state, the city launched Back to Our Future in May 2022 to reach 1,000 young people ages 14 to 21 in 15 neighborhoods on the South and West sides. Data indicates fewer than 500 have participated so far.

The findings released today illustrate how difficult it is to reconnect with these young people — often referred to as “opportunity youth” — once they’ve disengaged.

“If it was easy, somebody would have already done it,” said Jadine Chou, chief safety and security officer at Chicago Public Schools. “We knew going into this that it was going to be really hard.”

* Here’s the rest…

    * Sun-Times | Bears fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, QBs coach Andrew Janocko: The Bears rarely looked good offensively during Getsy’s two seasons. They ranked 23rd in the NFL at 19.4 points per game in 2022 and 18th at 21.4 this season. He never clicked philosophically with quarterback Justin Fields, either, though both described it as a good relationship. Over 2022 and ‘23, the Bears had the fewest passing yards in the NFL and fifth-lowest collective passer rating. They did, however, rank second in rushing over those seasons, though a big part of that was Fields running for 1,143 yards in ‘22 and 657 in ‘23.

    * Crain’s | Homebuyer sues @properties over industry-wide ‘conspiracy’ on agents’ commissions: The conspiracy, the attorneys write, originates with the National Association of Realtors’ long-held standards that require the agent for a home’s seller to split the sales commission, usually 5% to 6%, with the agent for the buyer. The rule discourages competition by prohibiting a buyer’s agent for negotiating a lower commission, they argue.

    * Daily Herald | DuPage County says it has no authority to enact bus restrictions: County board Chairwoman Deborah Conroy clarified Tuesday the county’s stance, noting it does not have home rule authority and could not adopt such resolutions. “We are not home rule, so that’s not up for discussion,” Conroy said, adding that the county has confirmed with the state’s attorney’s office that it does not have the authority to adopt such measures.

    * Sun-Times | Kim Foxx touts accomplishing her ‘mission’ as Cook County state’s attorney: ‘No one drove me out of this job’: Foxx wouldn’t share her plans for after her term ends in 11 months. “I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do next,” she told a meeting of the Leaders Network at the Columbus Park Refectory. Foxx, 51, assured the crowd that “no one drove me out of this job.”

    * WCIA | Tuscola Outlet Shops face uncertain future as two more stores announce closure: The outlet mall in Tuscola used to be a popular place to shop, even drawing people in from out of town. But more store closures have community members worried about its future. Two more store closures at the Tuscola Outlet Shops have left some people in the community shocked. The mall used to be home to 155 stores, but with the Old Navy and American Eagle now set to close, it will leave only eight operating businesses.

    * Chicago Mag | The Ultimate Bioresearch Lab: This month, a team of top medical researchers, chemists, biologists, and bioengineers in Chicago will open the best bioresearch center money can buy. It’s part of a national network of such sites that, together, have a lofty goal: to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of this century. That’s the kind of ambition you can have when you are backed by billionaires.

    * Chicago Reader | OURS enters the Illinois cannabis market as one of few Black-owned companies to make it that far: During the immediate green rush that followed the passing of the new state law, OURS applied for four state cannabis business licenses: dispensary, craft grower, infuser, and transporter. “Initially, we were going after the dispensary space,” says Ward. “That was the cherry of the industry.” But they were only awarded the latter two.

    * CBS Chicago | Bollards to be set up to protect Chicago businesses from crash-and-grab burglaries: Brothers Robert and David Kim are the owners of SVRN – a streetwear located in in the Aberdeen East luxury apartment building at 171 N. Aberdeen St. in the West Loop. They had concrete barriers in front of their storefront – but it was no matched for an organized crew of crash-and-gran burglars next month. “We keep bolstering our defenses with every break-in, and at this point, I don’t know what more we can do,” said Robert Kim.

    * NYT | U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell in 2023 as Coal Use Tumbled to New Lows: Still, the decline in emissions to date hasn’t been nearly steep enough to meet the nation’s goals for trying to slow global warming. President Biden wants to reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. To hit that goal, annual emissions would have to fall more than three times as fast for the rest of the decade as they did last year, the report found.

    * AP | USDA estimates 21 million kids will get summer food benefits through new program in 2024: Nearly 21 million children in the U.S. and its territories are expected to receive food benefits this summer through a newly permanent federal program, the United States Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes opted into the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, or Summer EBT, which the government says is meant to supplement existing programs during the summer that have had a more limited reach.

    * Sun-Times | Phil Rosenthal of ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ comes to Rosemont: Show season around Chicago outdoors begins with the Chicago Boat Show, which runs Wednesday through Sunday at McCormick Place. The Chicago Travel & Adventure Show is this weekend at the Stephens Center in Rosemont. Rosenthal will be there with his Q&A at 12:15 p.m. Saturday. ‘‘Chicago is a world city, but even you can travel to other countries in your town, wonderful countries,’’ Rosenthal said. ‘‘If you stick to deep-dish pizza, you will not see the world.

    * Tribune | Chicago could see another inch of snow overnight Wednesday: The track for Friday’s storm is still developing, and temperatures will likely be near or above freezing, limiting accumulation, the weather service said. Starting Sunday, the coldest air of the season is expected, the weather service said. Wind chills may fall below -20 degrees Fahrenheit early next week.

    * Block Club | The ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ Is The City’s Hottest New Tourist Attraction: Local artist and comedian Winslow Dumaine was walking to Transistor, a shop in Roscoe Village that sells some of his work, when he stumbled upon what appeared to be an imprint of a rodent on the sidewalk. He snapped a photo of the creature’s cemented outline and uploaded it to the social media platform X, along with the caption: “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole.

  4 Comments      


Question of the day

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Politico today…

OFF THE TABLE: While legislators in Florida and a few other states try to change their state constitutions to make abortion the law of the land, Illinois is sitting tight.

The article goes on to quote Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), but Cassidy told me that the constitutional amendment idea was not “off the table.” She stressed that no decision had yet been made. So I asked her for a statement…

No decisions have been made about pursuing a constitutional amendment at this point. We’ve had some discussions in the working group, examining the various versions different states have adopted as well as analyzing costs, messaging, and results. I’m also aware of discussions among advocates at the state and national network weighing pros and cons, but I don’t believe they’ve come to any conclusions either.

* The Question: Should Illinois include abortion rights in its constitution? Make sure to explain your response and take a deep breath before commenting. Thanks.

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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Rate Mike Bost’s first TV ad

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’re coming late to this because the ad was released during the break. Press release…

Congressman Mike Bost’s campaign released its first television advertisement of the 2024 election cycle this week. The ad, titled “People,” will air district-wide on broadcast and satellite television, as well as on streaming services.

* The spot…

* Script…

Mike Bost fights for Southern Illinois.

Mike fought to open international markets…and to protect us from China’s unfair trade policies.

Mike fought and won to get more invested in rural broadband.

Mike fought to get better mental health services for Veterans. And more job opportunities when we came home.

When it comes to our guns, no one’s a stronger supporter than Mike Bost.

Mike will finish the wall and keep the cartels out of America.

Mike Bost.

Conservative fighter.

Mike Bost gets results.

BOST: I’m Mike Bost and I approve this message.”

  31 Comments      


Pritzker says state has no laws on the books now to regulate ‘rogue’ migrant buses, but says GA will consider options

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker was asked today if the state had any plans to try to regulate or stop the “rogue buses” that are dumping asylum-seekers in various suburbs…

So as you know, the laws don’t exist in the state of Illinois for us to do that today. We can’t just impose some rules from the state level on every city, every county, every township.

There are certain towns and cities that have the ability to do that and certain that don’t. And so, we’ve been listening to the various mayors and other leaders of those local governments to find out what it is they’d like the state to do.

And certainly as the legislature comes back into session over the next week, they’re going to be considering whatever the options are.

I do wonder, however, how any of these new local ordinances or possible future state laws would be constitutional under the Commerce Clause. But, hey, they’re legal until somebody successfully sues, and the bus companies haven’t yet sued.

  12 Comments      


State steps up again to feed asylum-seekers; Pritzker talks landing zone backlog, doubts supplemental will be passed soon

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We talked about this looming two-week January funding gap more than a month ago. From the Sun-Times back then…

Citing further “delays” in the city’s procurement process, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration on Friday said it would chip in an additional $2 million to feed asylum-seekers in Chicago through the end of the year.

Another $2 million will be matched by the Chicago Food Depository, which has already been providing meals to migrants since June, in partnership with 15 minority-owned restaurants in Chicago. […]

The request for further funding came this week, and the state agreed to help until the end of the year with an understanding the city will assume the cost in January. […]

Mary May, a spokeswoman from Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said in a statement the deadline for an RFP for the food contract closed on Friday and was delayed because the city received more than 200 questions from applicants. May said the new contract is slated to begin Jan. 15.

It’s unclear who will be funding the food between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15, when the city said its contract would begin. The city did not comment on that gap.

* Well, as we should’ve suspected, the city didn’t finish in time. So the governor’s office issued a press release last week which included this passage…

In December, the State and the Greater Chicago Food Depository announced a $4 million investment to provide meals to asylum seekers at City of Chicago shelter sites through the end of the calendar year. The funds were announced as the City worked through delays in its procurement process. Due to continued delays in this process, the State is further extending its shelter-food contract through January 15 at an additional cost of $2 million. On January 15, the City will assume responsibility for feeding asylum seekers in City shelters.

Notice the use of passive voice in the “continued delays in this process” phrase. The state is being awfully kind here.

* Meanwhile, the city appears to be having trouble moving the asylum-seekers from the “landing zone” into shelters. Sun-Times…

Hundreds of migrants are now spending their first nights in Chicago aboard buses at the city’s designated “landing zone” for new arrivals, where many say they’re getting little food or medical assistance. […]

The city’s “landing zone” became an effective temporary shelter for migrants in late December after the city largely stopped housing them at police stations. It’s quickly grown to house more than 500 people in buses, including over 100 children, according to the city, as the number of people arriving has outpaced the city’s ability to place them in shelters.

Gov. Pritzker was asked about this backlog today…

Well, again, we work every day with the City of Chicago as they identify locations that we can set up shelters. As I said one shelter is opening just today and we’re moving more than 200 people, families and others into it [in Little Village] … And I actually visited yesterday. It’s phenomenal what we’ve been able to do in a relatively short period of time and and to accommodate very young children. You know, early childhood education is very important to me, making sure these young children have a place that they can play even in a very difficult situation that’s been put into this site. It’s well managed and I think that you know, I feel good about the the opportunity there. And again, we’re continuing to try to identify, working with Cardinal in the Catholic Church, to make sure that if there are locations that we could take over and and put funding forward at the state level to do exactly that. Progress is being made.

* Pritzker was also asked about the prospects for a supplemental appropriations bill to formalize his budget maneuvering to pay for his November decision to spend another $160 million on the problem. The General Assembly returns next week for a few days, so does a supplemental need to be passed right away?…

It does not need to happen right away. But suffice to say I’ve brought this up to leaders, they haven’t wanted to bring it up yet. I do think it’s going to be important for you to deal with the costs here that are rising all the time, or at least the toll is rising, and we’re all working together to try to meet the demand.

…Adding… Press release…

A new State-supported shelter is beginning to serve asylum seekers in Chicago today. The location is the site of a former CVS in the Little Village neighborhood. The shelter will be part of the City of Chicago’s existing asylum seeker shelter system and will house approximately 220 people as they transition to independent living.

The shelter development is part of Governor JB Pritzker’s investment of an additional $160 million, via the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis presented by the arrival of over 34,000 asylum seekers from the U.S. southern border.

The State saw an uptick of new arrivals over the holidays and created a temporary shelter at a Chicago hotel. Those new arrivals are now transitioning to the shelter in Little Village.

With the cold weather and continued arrival of asylum seekers, the State is committed to partnering with the City of Chicago to take the necessary actions to keep people safe and help them on their path to self-sufficiency.

“This new location will offer dignity and respite to asylum seekers who have travelled thousands of miles to find safety,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m grateful to IDHS and New Life Centers for getting this site operational and for the wrap-around services they will be providing to help migrants achieve independence.”

Available beds at the Little Village shelter will be prioritized for families and individuals with disabilities. The site will offer sleeping spaces as well as meals, hygiene facilities, and wrap-around services.

Along with IDHS and its partners, New Life Centers is supporting community-care services including conflict resolution, onsite communications, community engagement, and connection with local resources.

“A large part of meeting our new arrivals with dignity involves meeting them where they are at – and that involves a variety of supports. Traveling great distances and overcoming adversity to make it to the U.S. often involves trauma, which can be detrimental to mental and physical well-being,” said Matt DeMateo, Executive Director, New Life Centers of Chicagoland. “We are grateful to continue to partner with the State to address these emergent needs.”

* More stories from Isabel…

    * The Record | Highland Park organizations unite for care-package program to support migrants. Here’s how to help: The City of Highland Park has teamed with the local rotary club, park district and nonprofit SaLT to build “Take Care” packages for migrants arriving to Chicagoland. The organizations are asking residents to drop off donations at any of a number of locations in Highland Park. From there, SaLT volunteers will package the items into care packages and distribute them to migrants who arrive in Chicago or to the migrant intake center in Chicago.

    * CBS Chicago | Advocacy group’s mission to help Chicago migrants starts in storage unit across from Greyhound stop: One group isn’t waiting for a plan from the government. They’re helping on their own, and it starts in a storage unit across the street from the Greyhound bus stop in downtown Chicago. Among aisles and aisles of locked doors, something waits behind each of the steel gates inside; stacks of bottled water, bins of snacks, racks of clothing and shoes, and other donations for newly arrived migrants.

    * Patch | Deerfield To Consider Migrant Bus Ordinance At Next Meeting: Mayor: In a Monday message to the community, Shapiro said the Deerfield Village Board will consider an ordinance at its Jan. 16 meeting that would potentially place regulations on any buses that leave people in Deerfield unannounced. The meeting, which has been moved to Tuesday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day the previous day, will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 850 Waukegan Road.

    * NCR | Church must remain steadfast in its advocacy for migrants, El Paso bishop says: Seitz, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, told OSV News that he is “certainly concerned right now about the negotiations that are going on and what is likely to result from them.” He said one of his concerns is that no legislators from the border region appear to be directly involved in the negotiations. “The church’s concern is always with the human person,” he said. “It’s always with the person who is vulnerable and in need.”

  3 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* HB4412 from Rep. Dave Vella…

Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. In provisions concerning criminal background investigations, provides that a child care facility may authorize the Department of Children and Family Services or a third-party vendor to complete the investigation. Provides that an applicant is determined to have completed the criminal background investigation when he or she has completed and submitted authorization for the performance of a criminal background investigation by either the Department or a third party contracted to perform the criminal background investigation. Makes conforming changes.

* Rep. Gregg Johnson filed HB4417…

Amends the Course of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that all public high schools, including charter schools, shall designate and annually observe a week known as “Workplace Readiness Week”. Provides that students shall be provided information on their rights as workers during that week, and sets forth what information must be included. Provides that for students in grades 11 and 12, the information shall be integrated into the regular school program but may also be provided during special events after regular school hours. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Jed Davis’ HB4347…

Amends the Blockchain Technology Act. Prohibits a public or private entity from requiring an individual to submit a blockchain based identification system as a condition of receiving goods or services from the public or private entity. Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act. Prohibits a public or private entity from requiring an individual to provide a biometric identifier or biometric information as a condition of receiving goods or services from the public or private entity.

* HB4349 from Rep. Steven Reick…

Creates the 22nd Judicial Circuit Children and Family Services Agency Act (which may be referred to as AJ’s Law). Establishes a 22nd Judicial Circuit Children and Family Services Agency for a 5-year period to replace the operations of the Department Children and Family Services within the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Provides that the Agency shall have all powers and duties of the Department. Provides for the appointment of an Executive Director and employment of employees. Provides for requirements for operation of the Agency, including unit-based multidisciplinary teams. Provides for State funding of the Agency after submission of a budget to the Department each year. Provides for the transfer of power and duties back to the Department should the Agency cease operations after the initial 5-year period. Repeals the Act 6 years after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.

* 25 News Now…

If State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) has his way, no portrait will be displayed at the Illinois Capitol of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan unless he’s found not guilty of corruption charges.

There is renewed interest in Spain’s non-binding resolution (HR0129), which he introduced last March. but its stuck in the rules committee.

An aide to Spain told 25News the GOP lawmaker is looking for support from Democrats, who hold a 78-40 majority. […]

Welch spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll released the following statement:

“The only person talking about or considering a portrait for former Speaker Madigan is Leader Ryan Spain. And that’s a special form of hypocrisy to talk about banning portraits while staring at one of former Governor George Ryan hanging in the House chamber.

* Resource Recycling…

llinois may or may not be the next state to pass a bill setting up a beverage container deposit return system under Senate Bill 85, and industry players recently debated the benefits and concerns around the bill.

During an Illinois Recycling Foundation webinar on Dec. 12, several stakeholders discussed the work being done to create a deposit return system (DRS) in Illinois, namely SB 85.

Scott Breen, vice president of sustainability at the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), said the bill was “trying to find the sweet spot” between higher recycling rates, cost savings to municipalities, reduced litter, fewer landfill tipping fees and the needs of MRFs.

“We’re trying to get this bill in place so it works for everybody,” he said. “This is fundamentally changing how people buy and return beverage containers and also impacts the recycling industry, so this is serious stuff. There’s a lot of money and jobs wrapped up in this.”

  15 Comments      


Open thread

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

  6 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Chicago suburbs plan for unscheduled asylum-seeker drop offs. Tribune…

    - Deputy Police Chief Zakula said the department would direct buses to Chicago, should they arrive in Niles
    - Park Ridge Mayor Maloney said the city would not seek to adopt an ordinance that would restrict unscheduled bus stops
    - Skokie’s Communications and Community Engagement Director said village officials had made plans to ensure people could get to Chicago’s landing site

* Related stories…

* Isabel’s top picks…

Governor Pritzker will speak at 10:30 am at the Salesforce Tower to mark state economic development milestones. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

  11 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - A personal note for the old-timers

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped ScribbleLive from working…

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