* The state today asked the Illinois Supreme Court for a 90-day extension of the deadline to appeal the appellate court’s decision in the AFSCME contract contract impasse case. The appellate court had vacated the Illinois Labor Board’s finding that there was an impasse.
The State requests a second extension of time to allow the new administration sufficient time to review with legal counsel the issues in the case and related matters and the potential arguments in support of the petition.
Gov. Rauner’s administration sought and received a delay last year. The state had until today to file its motion.
* AFSCME Council 31…
We’re preparing to file an objection to this motion. There’s no need for another extension or further review of the appellate court decision, which found that Bruce Rauner wrongly walked out on negotiations, falsely claiming the parties were at impasse.
While we’re pleased that Governor Pritzker has made clear he intends to return to the bargaining table, that’s all the more reason to drop Rauner’s impasse appeal.
The governor’s office also claimed today that the state is working with AFSCME to seek extensions of time or stays in other pending litigation to allow the state some breathing room to review all of the pending matters and give the government and AFSCME an opportunity to return to the bargaining table.
* From Jordan Abudayyeh in the governor’s office…
Governor Pritzker’s priority is to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract with state workers that is fair to both the state’s dedicated workforce and fair to taxpayers.
* AFSCME is gonna want a lot…
In a @CapConnectIL interview that will air this Sunday, @AFSCME31’s legislative director lays out the top items on their wish list: pay raises for state workers, cheaper healthcare for state workers, and assurances their work won’t be outsourced to private contractors. https://t.co/mgVPigQcJG
AFSCME also applied some pressure on @GovPritzker’s administration today, saying “there should be no delay” in cutting checks for backpay on frozen step payments. Pritzker has signaled he wants to move quickly to address this, but no clear immediate answers just yet. https://t.co/leMUmwLWb6
* December 6, 2018 press release from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum…
Media personality, author and political commentator Glenn Beck is helping to ensure that one-of-a-kind Lincoln artifacts remain accessible to visitors at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The library’s executive director, Alan Lowe, announced Thursday that Beck’s charity, Mercury One, has gifted $50,869.
“We are extraordinarily grateful for the generosity of Glenn, his listeners, and Mercury One donors,” Lowe said. “Glenn contacted us as soon as he heard of our challenge and asked how he could help. The donation from Mercury One, as well as Glenn’s continued call for his audience to protect Lincoln’s legacy, is inspiring.”
The money was then donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, which is deeply in debt because it paid one of its board members millions of dollars for artifacts - one of which (Lincoln’s alleged hat) may not even be authentic.
The ALPLM last June loaned [Beck’s] Mercury One some of its most precious possessions, including a copy of the Gettysburg Address, a key to Lincoln’s house, a letter he wrote and a nameplate from his home informing passersby that A. Lincoln lived there. The 2018 loan was the third time ever that the Gettysburg Address has left the Springfield institution. It was Mercury One’s opening weekend as a museum.
The museum doesn’t charge money to loan artifacts.
(T)he person who keeps [things safe at Beck’s Mercury One] is Courtney Mayden, who was hired in the fall of 2017 as an associate curator at the Dallas-area facility. Before that, she was a server at Pluckers Wing Bar in nearby Addison. She also has a degree in art history and had served as volunteer docent at a Fort Worth art museum and worked as a gallery attendant at a Dallas art museum.
It was Mayden’s job to ensure that humidity, temperatures, security and other details were up to snuff to protect Abe’s speech and other relics. She helped unpack the ALPLM artifacts, according to emails, and repacked them for the return trip to Springfield. ALPLM director Alan Lowe made the trip, with plans to be interviewed by Beck for a television program.
The Gettysburg Address is so cherished that the five existing copies are kept in near darkness within vaults where temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees and relative humidity is between 40 and 48 percent, according to a 2013 story in Popular Science. A fingerprint is cause for consternation because oils left from human skin attract contaminants that speed decay. The ALPLM measures its copy, according to the 2013 story, to determine how its dimensions change in different conditions.
Wills says via email that Lowe was present when artifacts were unpacked and put on display, and he notes that everything was returned safe and sound. “We appreciate your interest in this textbook example of how to properly handle the loan of a historic document,” Wills wrote.
Textbook? Shipping arrangements were made before a loan agreement was signed with an outfit that had never before held an exhibition. The Mercury One website is festooned with “Donate Now” buttons, the charity’s collection is a hodgepodge that includes Hollywood memorabilia, an exploding rat and sundry other items, with a Thomas Paine letter and a few other historic documents thrown in. Mayden seems earnest in emails, but she was just getting started as a professional conservator. It sounds like a lot of stuff got slapped together at the last minute, compared with prior loans and how they roll at the Library of Congress.
Sounds a bit risky to me.
* But this is from the library…
We found that Mercury One had excellent security, appropriate climate controls and a knowledgeable curator who was willing to work with us at every step. Mercury One covered all expenses for the loan, including special, high-security shipping. Our director was present for its installation.
The Address did not leave the ALPLM until our experts were satisfied it would be perfectly safe – which it was. It returned to the presidential library five days later in pristine condition.
The ALPLM staff are to be commended for their attention to detail, and we thank the Mercury One Foundation for handling this document with such care and respect as they shared it with a new audience. […]
The ALPLM cannot know the work history of employees at institutions that borrow material from us. Their previous jobs are not relevant. What’s relevant are the institutions’ procedures and professionalism. We did our due diligence to ensure that Mercury One met all requirements. The outcome was a positive experience for both the ALPLM and Mercury One.
The ALPLM staff is dedicated to protecting every item in our collection. No one would have hesitated to speak up if there had been any hint of a problem with the circumstances of this loan. Everyone was satisfied that the objects would be in safe hands – which was indeed the case. All the items loaned to Mercury One came back in perfect shape.
* From Chris Wills…
The Illinois Times article mentioned that this is only the third time we have loaned out the Gettysburg Address. What it failed to include is that this was only the third time anyone has ever asked the ALPLM to borrow the address. It’s not like we routinely turn down request after request but made an exception in this particular case.
* Before posting this press release about a Gov. Pritzker executive order requiring IDHS to make sure the state is spending all it is allowed to spend on Illinois welcoming centers for immigrants, I wanted to know if there were real concerns about money not being expended.
I was told that the Rauner administration proposed eliminating funding for Welcoming Centers in its FY19, FY18, and FY17 budgets. Rauner’s FY19 budget proposal indicated that it expected to spend $0 out of the $1,499,000 million in FY18. For FY17, his office reported expending $914,700 out of the $2,630,700 appropriation.
* So, here you go…
While President Trump continues to demonize immigrant families to advance a political agenda, Gov. Pritzker is taking a proactive approach to welcome immigrant families to Illinois, ensuring they are supported and know their rights.
Illinois is home to 1.8 million immigrants, and one in six Illinois workers is an immigrant. There are 120,000 immigrant business owners in the state, and immigrants who are employers generate more than $2.5 billion in business income. They also pay billions in federal, state and local taxes. Importantly, immigrants are our neighbors, our friends and our family.
“This executive order will help protect immigrants and refugees and allow all our diverse immigrant communities to thrive. Let there be no doubt that Illinois is a welcoming state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With our president doing everything he can to attack immigrants and refugees in Illinois, I want to make it clear from the beginning of my administration that we’re going to stand up for all of our children and families. Illinois should be a state where all have access to opportunity and the ability to thrive, and my administration is taking steps to advance that goal.”
Alongside legislators and immigrant rights advocates at Family Focus Aurora, Gov. Pritzker signed an executive order that expands access to welcoming centers and informs immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers of the state programs that promote their human and civil rights as well as social and economic opportunity. Executive Order 2019-07 seeks to bring dignity, respect and stability into communities that have been attacked for too long.
“Immigrants who come to America want to better their lives, contribute to their communities and live in a place where they feel safe. Welcoming Centers play a key role in guiding new immigrants and those seeking asylum as they settle into our great state,” said Sen. Omar Aquino (D-2nd). “After years of dealing with a governor who continuously devalued the importance of these services, I look forward to working with a governor who places priority on our most vulnerable populations.”
“Anti-immigrant rhetoric has given fuel to negative perceptions and stereotypes of our nation’s immigrant populations, forcing thousands of immigrant families to live in fear on a daily basis,” said Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42nd). “I commend Gov. Pritzker’s early work to ensure Illinois remains a welcoming place for immigrants from across the world who continue to strengthen our economy, our neighborhoods and our state.”
“While the president holds the federal government hostage to build a wall and torment immigrant families, Gov. Pritzker is making it clear that Illinois is a welcoming state,” said Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-24th).“This executive order ensures that immigrants and refugees know about the state resources are available to them and sends a signal to families across our state that we have a governor who will not only protect them against Trump’s attacks, but who will do whatever he can to help them live better lives.”
“Governor Pritzker is working to restore trust between government and immigrant families that have been under attack and cast into the shadows,” said Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-83rd). “Today’s executive order shows this governor is committed to making Illinois a welcoming state, letting families know their rights and getting them the tools they need to thrive.”
* Diane Pathieu, Craig Wall and Sarah Schulte at ABC7…
Alderman Danny Solis (Ward 25) agreed to secretly record conversations with Alderman Ed Burke (Ward 14) following a federal investigation into his own campaign finances, a source told ABC7 Wednesday.
A source familiar with the investigation said the FBI began investigating Solis in 2014 and 2015 for allegations he was misusing campaign funds for personal use.
The source told ABC7 that a search warrant was served on Solis’ home and another location where the campaign money was spent. The feds then leveraged Solis and convinced him to wear a wire when speaking with Burke.
In 2014, Chicago alderman Danny Solis became the subject of a federal criminal investigation, according to a source familiar with the investigation. That would be a year before 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke also became a target of federal authorities, according to the timeline in a federal criminal complaint.
On Wednesday the Chicago Sun-Times reported Solis secretly recorded conversations with Burke as part of a federal investigation. NBC5 News has not been able to independently confirm the Sun-Times report.
NBC 5 has learned that Solis’ cooperation with the feds was brought about by the fact that Solis himself was the subject of a criminal investigation dating back to 2014. To date no charges have been brought against the retiring 25th Ward alderman.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, a confidential informant wired up on Solis at least a year before Solis is reported to have wired up on Burke.
* Meanwhile, news outlets were able to pry loose what the feds were searching for in Ed Burke’s offices…
[Documents regarding] “Private gain for himself (Burke) and others including Klafter and Burke”—his law firm—“in exchange for taking or refraining…from official action.”
Six individuals are listed in the search warrants—but only by letters, as are 14 other entities.
The Feds were in search of all documents concerning “Burke’s efforts to obtain employment, patronage jobs or other benefits for his personal associates.” And any evidence of using city personnel used to “conduct or advance his law firm.” […]
Two weeks the original raid, federal agents were back once more at the Finance Committee office and a second search warrant explains why.
They removed six Dell servers, two HP servers and one IBM server.
Agents were looking for any evidence of “referral fees, fee-splitting, fee-sharing, and consulting agreements” involving Burke’s law firm, Klafter & Burke, the records show. They also demanded contact information and the work locations of all of Burke’s employees.
The haul removed by agents that day included a Rolodex, a personal phone book and numerous computer towers, hard drives and thumb drives, the records show. Other items taken were labeled by the FBI as checks to or from Burke’s law firm; TIF files from Burke’s 14th Ward; an unidentified resume; “Water Commissioner documents” and something labeled “Old Main Post Office file.” Agents also seized a file related to Perry Mandera, a strip club owner and trucking executive who recently opened a medical marijuana dispensary, the records show. […]
Two folders taken by agents concerned Brian Hynes — an apparent reference to the longtime lobbyist and lawyer with deep connections to House Speaker Michael Madigan. Hynes grew up near Madigan on the Southwest Side, and later worked on Madigan’s staff, according to a profile of him in Crain’s 40 Under 40 list.
The attachment also asked for any documents showing the “use of property and personnel of the city of Chicago to conduct or advance the business of his law firm.”
The Sun-Times has previously reported that one Finance Committee employee, Meaghan Cleary Synowiecki, a great-niece of Burke’s wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, was ordered by the alderman to find out the name of the law firm the Burger King owners used to appeal their property taxes, records show. Her husband, Michael Synowiecki, is a lobbyist who represents several City Hall contractors who have used Burke’s law firm to appeal their taxes.
According to Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), legislators like herself who’ve been working on a legalization bill have held at least 50 negotiating sessions, six legislative hearings and hosted 7 or 8 town halls over the past couple of years.
There has been no “rush.” All four legislative caucuses have been involved. Everyone is being heard. And we’ll see even more action as soon as the House and Senate committees start meeting.
“What we’re seeing is a definite increase in crash risk that is associated with the legalized recreational use of marijuana,” said David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, which conducted the study.
Though driving statistics today look for the presence of cannabis in vehicle crashes, reports are often inaccurate. The mere mention of marijuana in a case — whether the user was a driver, passenger or pedestrian — can result in the case being included in sweeping claims about driving
Researchers have also found another potential land mine: the possibility that regular marijuana use causes mental health problems. We’re not talking 1930s “Reefer Madness” hysteria, either.
According to the National Academy of Medicine report, as author and former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson pointed out in a recent Times op-ed, “cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk.”
The [National Academy of Medicine] report is very careful in its findings. It notes that there’s “substantial evidence” for an association between marijuana and psychotic disorders, and that the association is dose-dependent — greater risk correlates with heavier marijuana use. But the report also notes that the explanation for the association is unclear.
Berenson favors the idea that pot causes and worsens psychosis and psychotic disorders. The National Academies’ report, though, says that other possibilities are plausible: Maybe psychosis or psychotic disorders lead to marijuana use, or a third factor — say, genes or environment — leads to psychosis and marijuana use. It could be a mix of all these factors.
The conclusion, if there is one: “This is a complex issue, one that certainly warrants further investigation.” In other words, we don’t know yet.
Separately, the National Academies also analyzed studies on how marijuana affects symptoms of psychotic disorders. This research was more limited, although some evidence showed that a history of marijuana use may actually improve cognitive performance for people with psychotic disorders (which could explain why people with psychotic disorders self-medicate with weed, if that’s the case). But the report ultimately concluded that the evidence in this area was merely “limited” to “moderate,” so more research is necessary.
Despite these warnings, our legislators in Springfield — revenue-hungry and homework-averse boneheads that they are — can be expected to move full speed ahead on Gov. Pritzker’s top priority.
Again, this ignores everything that’s been done over the years to get to this point.
“States that have gone about this as a revenue-generator are going about it wrong.”
…Adding… OK, Sen. Steans now gets the last word…
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) issued the following statement today after Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx came out in support of Steans’ proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois:
“One of our primary goals with this legislation is to begin to repair the decades of damage from the War on Drugs, particularly within minority communities.
“We know we cannot undo the disproportionate harm prohibition caused among minorities, but we can keep a firm eye on social justice as we move forward with legalization.
“State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx has a stellar record of fighting for criminal justice reform in Cook County. Expunging records of people convicted of non-violent, cannabis-related misdemeanors is an excellent first step and will aid in removing obstacles to employment and housing. Her support is a vote of confidence, and I look forward to working with her as we craft the best piece of legislation possible.”
Foxx also said today: “In the interest of justice, we will begin to proactively seek conviction relief for all misdemeanor marijuana convictions.”
* As we discussed last week, Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced Jason Van Dyke for 2nd Degree Murder instead of on the 16 counts of Aggravated Battery With a Firearm, even though the Illinois Supreme Court has clearly ruled that convicted defendants should be charged with the Class X Aggravated Battery instead of the 2nd Degree Murder charge.
I just saw Dave Clarkin’s tweet from last night, which sums it up rather well…
By the judge’s logic if you shoot someone 15 times committing aggravated battery but they are still alive, you should shoot them one more time to commit second degree murder so you walk on the 15 aggravated battery charges. That is a perversion of justice.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office says it is reviewing the legality of the sentence handed down last week to former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke for the murder of Laquan McDonald.
“We are going to do a careful review of the record and the law and make a determination based on our review,” Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the office, said Wednesday afternoon. […]
Some legal experts say the best way to challenge Van Dyke’s sentence would be to seek a “mandamus” order from the Illinois Supreme Court. That court could find Gaughan violated the law by basing the punishment on the second-degree murder count, a Class 1 felony, instead of the battery counts, which carry a more serious designation, Class X.
A spokesman for [Special Prosecutor Joseph McMahon] on Wednesday said the special prosecutor is “still reviewing” the sentence.
Daniel Herbert, one of Van Dyke’s attorneys, blasted the review by the attorney general as politically motivated, accusing Raoul of exploiting “the tragic death of Laquan McDonald for his own political gain.”
The office could have filed legal briefs in response to Herbert’s arguments at sentencing but chose not to, Herbert pointed out.
“Now he suddenly has concerns after the sentencing in the wake of some public outcry,” he said in an emailed statement. “This is about politics, not the law.”
Raoul was sworn in a few days before the sentencing date, so that argument is bogus.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the special prosecutor’s office…
The propriety of a sentence may be challenged by filing a petition for a Writ of Mandamus. However, the granting or denial of that petition is subject to the discretion of the Illinois Supreme Court. We are currently reviewing the trial court’s ruling in conjunction with the relevant case law and statutory authority that bears on the sentence imposed on Jan. 18. The unique facts of this case require consideration of the complex principles of Illinois law.
* I took a quick look this morning at the very first bills sponsored by House freshmen. These bills can tell us a lot about the new members’ priorities, so we may check them again.
Several freshmen haven’t introduced their own bills yet, and lots of House Republicans have only signed on to House GOP Leader Durkin’s remap proposal. Anyway, here’s the first bill for Rep. Dan Didech (D-Buffalo Grove)…
HB0887
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the Department of State Police has authority to deny an application for or to revoke and seize a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card previously issued under the Act if the Department finds that the applicant or the person to whom the card was issued is or was at the time of issuance a person who has been convicted within the past 5 years of stalking or a substantially similar offense in another jurisdiction, in which a firearm was used or possessed.
“Gun safety” was, if I recall correctly, a big issue in Didech’s campaign.
Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Defines “administrative separation”. Provides that the court lacks jurisdiction to proceed on a petition for the appointment of a guardian or standby guardian of a minor if it finds that the minor has a living parent whose parental rights have not been terminated, unless, among other things, the parent or parents, in the event of an administrative separation, are not presently located in the United States and are unable to consent as evidenced by a sworn affidavit. Provides that a parent or guardian shall not appoint a short-term guardian of a minor if the minor has another living parent whose parental rights have not be terminated, unless, among other things, the parent or parents, in the event of an administrative separation, are not presently located in the United States and are unable to consent as evidenced by a sworn affidavit.
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that beginning April 1, 2020, and on a bi-annual basis thereafter, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall issue a report to the General Assembly concerning the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in this State. Provides for the contents of the report.
Amends the Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act. Provides that if a purchaser makes payment over the phone, in writing, or via the Internet, and the property is delivered to a location in this State, then the sale shall be sourced to the location where the property is delivered. Provides that the sale shall be deemed to have occurred at the customer’s address if the property is delivered and the delivery location is unknown. Amends the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the Flood Prevention District Act, the Local Mass Transit District Act, and the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Provides that a unit of local government may require a retailer to collect and remit certain use and occupation taxes if the retailer qualifies as a “retailer maintaining a place of business in this State” under certain provisions of the Use Tax Act.
Creates the Laquan McDonald Act. Establishes a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago, an alderman of the City of Chicago, and the Cook County State’s Attorney. Effective immediately.
Not sure why a Naperville legislator would do this, except she says she’s running for US Senate.
…Adding… Stava-Murray’s bill was first introduced in 2016 by… wait for it… Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago). It went nowhere.
Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Provides that a person who has committed a violation or attempted violation of unauthorized video recording and live video transmission is subject to registration if the victim is a person under 18 years of age when the offense was committed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
Looks like he’s adding to the list of punishable offenses.
* The Question: What would be your first bill? Explain.
Chicago mayoral hopeful Susana Mendoza received a big infusion of campaign cash last year from the political organization of Ald. Danny Solis (25th Ward) — who is a mole in the federal corruption investigation against powerful Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward).
Records show Solis’ 25th Ward Regular Democratic Organization gave $55,400 on March 15 to Mendoza. She was re-elected as Illinois comptroller in November, but promptly declared her candidacy for mayor in next month’s election. […]
“If Danny Solis is charged with wrongdoing, Susana will donate the contribution,” the spokeswoman, Rebecca Evans, said in a statement sent to WBEZ.
On the same day as the contribution from Solis, Mendoza received another $45,200 from five companies whose board members are investors in a firm founded by Solis’ sister Patti Doyle Solis and one of the alderman’s longtime supporters, lawyer Brian Hynes.
That company, Vendor Assistance Program LLC, is based in Chicago and has been a major beneficiary of a program to speed payments to government contractors owed money from the state.
* Mendoza has since changed her mind…
Today, Susana Mendoza released the below statement announcing she is donating all contributions received from VAP affiliated organizations and individuals and Danny Solis’ political committees to the Montford Point Marines, and calling on Toni Preckwinkle to end her lies and follow Susana’s lead on providing transparency. Attached is a check proving Susana Mendoza’s donation to the Montford Point Marines.
“I am donating $73,900 received from Danny Solis’ political organizations and $67,650 received from VAP related organizations and individuals to the very worthy Montford Point Marines war heroes and veterans to save their chapter hall in Englewood and help fund critical repairs. These were legal contributions that were fully disclosed as is required by law. Nonetheless, given new information that has come to light regarding these individuals and organizations, my value system dictates that I immediately donate these funds to this worthy cause. I call on Toni Preckwinkle to do the same within 24 hours with the $116,000 she received from the Ed Burke fundraiser that is now the subject of an FBI criminal complaint. By waiting until the end of March to return this tainted money, she is choosing to use dirty money to get her through this mayoral election. That’s shameful. From accepting an illegal campaign contribution from an alleged extortion scheme, to covering up sexual harassment allegations against her chief of staff, to firing the head of her security detail to cover up using a county vehicle for political purposes, to yesterday’s revelation of a patronage hiring, it’s clear that Toni Preckwinkle is the boss of the party bosses and is the last person who can be trusted to end this backroom culture of corruption she’s been a part of over the last quarter of a century.”
* From the comptroller’s office…
Due to the catastrophic budget impasse, the state racked up more than $1 billion in late payment interest penalties. Comptroller Mendoza was the first public official to loudly raise the alarm about this wasteful spending. She has also criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the state’s Vendor Payment Program (VPP) since she first took office.
Not only has Comptroller Mendoza prioritized social services, schools, universities, healthcare and pensions ahead of qualified purchasers during the budget impasse, she also championed the Vendor Payment Program Transparency Act to shed light on the program. For the first time since the program’s creation, qualified purchasers and the program’s financial backers are now displayed in a monthly report on the Comptroller’s Office Website.
Representatives of the purchasers went before a legislative committee in the spring to bemoan that fact that they felt they were not being paid quickly enough. The Vendor Payment Program played an important role in keeping many vendors afloat during Illinois’ 793-day impasse. The state owes these interest penalties, and they will be paid. But there is still a $7.7 billion backlog of unpaid bills that the Comptroller’s office must triage. In paying those bills, Comptroller Mendoza will do what she has always done: prioritize education and care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Things to know:
* The oldest commercial voucher is late September. We’re working on finishing paying September, but we are more current with education and other priority payments like pensions and debt service.
* The oldest interest vouchers date back to 2016.
As far as I can tell, there’s no evidence that Mendoza gave Vendor Assistance Program LLC any preferential treatment. But campaigns being campaigns, this is probably a wise move. The check was written out of her Friends For Susana Mendoza account, which is her statewide account, and it pretty much wipes out all the money left in that fund.
* Governing Magazine conducted a six-month investigation into segregation in Downstate Illinois. From their findings…
What emerged was a picture of the way segregation continues to shape and reshape metropolitan areas in Illinois and, indeed, throughout many parts of the country. In these cities, segregation means not just a physical divide, but a huge disparity in resources. White areas of town benefit from more development, better infrastructure and more accommodating government policies.
What’s more, we found local governments bear much of the responsibility for creating and maintaining segregated communities. Mayors and other city officials are often focused on immediate concerns, such as balancing tight budgets or attracting economic development. While those are legitimate, pressing issues, the resulting policies can often reinforce segregation. Through unspoken traditions and ingrained attitudes, as well as explicit government actions, city officials are in many ways responsible for maintaining a system that still divides whites and blacks.
When it comes to land use — what gets built where — governments use zoning restrictions to keep out rental housing, which attracts blacks and other minorities, from predominantly white areas. They approve new residential subdivisions with strict deed restrictions that make large swaths of communities unaffordable to low-income residents and often explicitly bar any use other than single-family homes. As they restrict where apartments can be built, local governments also play a big role in deciding where public housing and other taxpayer-supported affordable housing projects are located. That often leads to concentrated areas of low-income housing in black neighborhoods. Those changes almost inevitably become permanent, because the income restrictions and other rules that come with public subsidies last for decades.
Public schools are a key factor as well. While segregation in schools is often viewed as a product of the neighborhoods the schools are located in, the truth is much more complicated because schools shape the neighborhoods they serve. In many cases, in fact, they exacerbate segregation by driving white flight to suburban areas. That is especially true in Illinois, because of its proliferation of small school districts. As cities such as Peoria and Springfield stretch beyond their original district borders, white residents flock to the suburban-style schools on their peripheries. Farther-out villages have transformed themselves from farm towns to bedroom communities by luring white families with new subdivisions and the promise of better schools in stand-alone school districts. The net result is that predominantly white suburban districts are flourishing, while urban districts have become increasingly black and suffer from declining tax bases.
Finally, residents in predominantly black neighborhoods routinely face more scrutiny from police and other government agencies, which reinforces the patterns of segregation that have already emerged. Government actions such as increased code enforcement, zero tolerance policies for drugs in public housing and disproportionately targeting black neighborhoods for traffic stops result in black residents facing more municipal fines or other minor punishments. Though seemingly small, those infractions, combined with the fact that blacks are far more likely to be arrested and imprisoned than whites, can make it harder for residents to clear their name and qualify for good-paying jobs that require criminal background checks. That barrier to jobs is significant for downstate communities: The Peoria, Decatur, Rockford and Carbondale metropolitan areas were all ranked among the top 10 for highest black unemployment rates in the country in 2017.
High Residential Segregation: The Peoria area had the sixth-highest level of segregation measured between blacks and whites of any metro area in the country, while the Danville area ranked 12th nationally. Kankakee, Rockford and Springfield were similarly among the top third most segregated metro areas between black and whites.
Lack of Progress: Levels of segregation within the Champaign-Urbana, Danville and Peoria areas have remained essentially unchanged since 1980, counter to prevailing national downward trends.
White Flight: Many areas of Illinois have experienced significant white flight over the past several decades. This pattern has continued in recent years in some urban neighborhoods. (View map)
Extremely Segregated Schools: Our analysis of federal data found the Peoria metro area had the most segregated schools between black and white students of any area nationally, regardless of size. The problem is prevalent throughout the state, with black-white school segregation in eight of 10 Illinois metro areas in the top third in the U.S. Only Bloomington-Normal and Carbondale recorded lower levels of segregation.
School District Segregation: Segregation within individual school districts is much less severe than in entire metro areas, suggesting school district boundaries contribute to segregation.
Shifting School Demographics: Over the past 15 years, nearly all large urban downstate Illinois school districts lost at least a third of white student enrollment. Suburban school districts haven’t experienced nearly the same declines.
Black Incomes Lag Far Behind: Racial disparities in household incomes are severe throughout Illinois. In Springfield, differences between median black and white incomes were greater than any other metro area nationally. They were also among the top 10 percent in the Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Kankakee and Peoria metro areas.
Elevated Black Poverty Rates: The latest Census estimates suggest Peoria has the highest black poverty rate of any larger metro area. Several other Illinois metro areas similarly recorded among the steepest black poverty rates nationally.
* Their stories…
* Houses Divided: How States and Cities Reinforce Segregation in America: It didn’t take Silas Johnson long after he moved to Springfield, Ill., to identify the border that separates the black section of the city from the white one. Growing up in Mississippi as the civil rights movement swept through the South, Johnson knew about dividing lines. In the town of Macon, blacks knew to stay on their side of the railroad tracks. “It wasn’t something that was taught,” he says. “It was just something that was known.”
* Still Separate After All These Years: How Schools Fuel White Flight: The city of Peoria has its own school district, a chronically troubled system with a declining enrollment that serves mostly black students. About 70 percent are low-income. White families have been avoiding the troubles of the inner-city school district by moving to the northern part of town, where they can send their kids to Dunlap instead. As a result, Dunlap’s school system is booming.
* Broken Homes: How Housing Policies Keep White Neighborhoods So White (and Black Neighborhoods So Black): The fact that Hightower finds herself renting an apartment on the East Side of Springfield is no accident. A whole web of federal, state, local and even private regulations over housing and land use ensure that low-income residents live far away from wealthier ones; that apartment buildings are rarely situated next to single family housing; and, as a result, that black residents and white residents largely live in different neighborhoods.
* Black, White and Blue: How Police and Anti-Crime Measures Reinforce Segregation: Our review found many practices that placed greater burdens on black residents than white residents because of where they lived. These practices were used not just by police, but by non- law enforcement agencies like the Rockford Housing Authority. They included increased surveillance, frequent ID checks and rigorously enforced nuisance ordinances.
* Amanda Kass has been working on another white paper about pensions and posted about one aspect of it on Twitter. I’ve copied and pasted her tweets into one post, but click here to read it online…
One big trend I see throughout the legislative history is a sort of sleight of hand.
A pension crisis narrative emerges that focuses on the finances of the pension systems using one or two metrics (the funded ratio and/or unfunded liabilities) and a flurry of speeches, op-eds, etc about how the crisis is dire and must be solved immediately ensues.
But these same speeches and op-eds also touch on a second, related issue: pension payments in context of the state’s operating budget, and concern that payments are burdensome + crowding out other areas of the budget.
The sleight of hand occurs when legislation is passed that cuts the state’s required pension payments, but in such a way that that same legislation can also be used to claim the pension crisis is solved.
A prime [example] of this sleight of hand is the [Jim Edgar] 50-year pension ramp, which replaced PA 86-273. That state’s [required] contributions under that prior law were higher, but payments were subject to the annual appropriation process + lawmakers simply didn’t adhere to the payment schedule.
Rather than just make the [required] payments lawmakers elected to scrap the existing plan and put in a new 50-year one that started out with a fifteen year ramp period. So not only did this lower the [required] payment, but it kicked paying down unfunded liabilities decades into the future.
Lawmakers also made the pension contributions under the new 50-year plan subject to a continuing appropriation, which meant that if they failed to appropriate the payments during the budget making process the payments would still get made.
Passage of the 50-year funding plan was touted as a good compromise that fixed the pension mess… even though the state’s payments to just TRS would have been an estimate $400 million more under the old law.
And while the continuing appropriation was a good measure, state lawmakers can change the state’s payments through legislation. Precisely what [happened] w/PA 94-4, which cut the state’s pension payments for FY2006 + FY 2007 [under Blagojevich].
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago)…
This year, despite the availability of more attractive assignments, I decided to remain the Chair of the House Committee on Personnel and Pensions. I decided to stay with pensions because more than ever, I believe that Illinois’ future will be determined by how we deal with out pension debt. Name a problem that the state is dealing with. I bet that at least 9 out of 10 times, I can show you how our inability to handle our pension debt has caused that problem or made it worse. If we are to solve Illinois, we must solve the pension debt crisis.
As I read Amanda’s thoughts, something echoed in my mind. Nearly every solution that has been ever been proposed to deal with pensions has involved putting LESS money into the fund, not more. Whatever your political persuasion, there is one undeniable fact: If you try to pay off a debt by putting less money toward that debt, you will not succeed. Whether it was the Edgar ramp, the Blagojevich pension holidays, we have constantly tried to lower the payment in order to solve whatever our crisis of the moment is. Until we commit money into front loading the repayment schedule, we will only make the problem worse. In my role, I will continue to push for math based solutions that solve the problem. No one wants a tax increase. No one.
However, I believe that our citizens will support us if we actually solve problems. According to COGFA, adding $1B per year to the annual pension payment would cut 7 years off the repayment schedule, reaching 90% funding by 2038 instead of 2045, saving the taxpayers $60 billion in repayment costs.
Under this scenario, the payment in 2039 would drop from approximately $16 billion to about $2 billion. That $14 billion dollar annual budget windfall could be used to pay for an increased investment in K-12, higher education, infrastructure, and social programs. It could even be used to pay for a tax decrease. Imagine that. Instead of just empty promises that certain legislators make to “fight” for lower taxes, we could provide a plan to pay for one.
We can and should consider to look at creative ways to manage the repayment so that we can find any and all savings possible. That’s what Rep. Batinick and I did with pension buyouts, and I will always be open to new and creative ideas like reamortization, consolidation and bonding. However, I will continue to advocate for additional funds. The sooner we pay down our debt in a responsible manner, the sooner we will return Illinois to a fiscally responsible state on the path to prosperity.
Thursday, Jan 24, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois progressives ran, organized, voted, and won in 2018. Now it’s time to lead. Our victories this election showed there is strong support across Illinois for a bold, progressive agenda and leaders who can turn that agenda into action. We have the power to make Illinois a state that leads the nation on committing to 100% clean, renewable energy, reducing gun violence to keep our communities safe, expanding abortion access to all no matter where they live, their income or age. Working together, we can move Illinois forward on these issues and more — from workers’ and immigrant rights to criminal justice reform, LGBTQ equality, and affordable healthcare. We are one in the fight to build a state where all people can raise families in healthy, safe communities, with dignity and justice.
Forward Illinois is a coalition of leading progressive organizations representing more than 500,000 member-activists. Our work to mobilize voters around the progressive issues that impact us all didn’t end on Election Day. Now we’re taking our fight from the ballot box to the steps of our state Capitol to demand action. Learn more and join the fight at www.forwardillinois.com.
* Didn’t Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner sign HB40 into law? Wasn’t he the guy who essentially funded the ILGOP for five years? I guess times truly have changed…
Yesterday, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order concerning taxpayer-funded abortion and stated Illinois will be the “most progressive state in the nation” on abortion under his administration. Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot issued the following statement in response:
“Making Illinois the ‘most progressive state in the nation’ on taxpayer-funded abortion is not something to be proud of. Rather, it’s tragic. At a time when our state budget is strained already, allowing this new and unfettered entitlement program to continue is beyond fiscally irresponsible. The Illinois Republican Party is deeply disappointed in Governor Pritzker’s executive order and will continue to oppose taxpayer funding of abortion.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider released the following statement after Governor Rauner announced he will be signing House Bill 40 into law:
“I am disappointed in the Governor’s decision to sign HB40 as the Illinois Republican Party opposes taxpayer-funded abortions.
“While I am frustrated and saddened, I also know that Speaker Madigan and the Democrats are trying to use this issue to divide our party and elect a Madigan-backed candidate for governor.
“As Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, I will not let that happen. Our state faces great challenges, and we are focused on the issues that unite us as Republicans and as Illinoisans. There is no daylight between Governor Rauner and the Illinois Republican Party and we will continue working hard to ensure his reelection and finally defeat Mike Madigan once and for all.”
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and members of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus are calling on the Trump administration to stop a plan to roll back protections against sexual harassment in public schools and college campuses.
Madigan, Assistant Majority Leader Kelly Burke and House education committee chairs Michelle Mussman, Rita Mayfield and Sue Scherer are working with the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) to submit public testimony to Trump’s Department of Education ahead of a vote this week on proposed rule changes that would make it harder for students to report abuse.
“Here in Illinois we have taken important steps to allow all students learn and reach their full potential in an environment free of harassment, but the Trump administration’s extreme ideology is threatening to take our schools backwards,” Madigan said. “No student should face harassment in school, but the administration’s onerous new rules would silence survivors and create an environment where unacceptable behavior is ignored, excused or accepted as normal. We will not sit back and allow this to happen.”
Madigan, Burke and fellow House Democrats have submitted letters decrying the Trump administration’s proposed changes to Title IX. Under the proposed rules, schools would no longer be required to take action on complaints made to teachers and counselors; only reports made to the few school employees with “authority to institute corrective measures” would require follow up. When an investigation does occur, the rules would require schools to assume no harassment had occurred, and schools would be encouraged to use a standard of proof the NWLC says “stacks the deck against survivors.” Additionally, schools would also be required to ignore harassment that occurs outside of a school activity, including most off-campus and online harassment, even if a student must see her assailant each day at school.
“The House Democratic Women’s Caucus and Speaker Madigan are dedicated to working together to create a culture free of harassment. But the Trump administration’s policies undermine these efforts in our schools, where we can least afford it,” Burke said. “The administration’s message to young people is that they should remain silent. In Illinois, we will do the opposite. We will speak up on behalf of survivors and continue to work toward a better culture for all.”
Citizens can join House Democrats in expressing concern about the Trump administration’s proposed changes to Title IX by joining NWLC letter campaign to submit testimony to the Department of Education at ilhousedems.com and facebook.com/HouseDemsIL.
Climate Science Coalition Executive Director Steve Goreham said there is demonstrable evidence that the more renewable energy injected into the power grid, the higher the utility cost will be for ratepayers. He said that could lead to ratepayer revolts that have been seen in other countries.
“If you look around the world we’re seeing ratepayer revolts already,” Goreham said. “The most visible one is the yellow jackets in Paris regarding a fuel tax that [French] President Emmanuel Macron was putting on.”
In December, Macron suspended France’s gasoline tax increase after weeks of violent protests.
* Since this will be run through the state’s linked deposit program, the only state cost will be lost investment returns…
Governor JB Pritzker joined Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs to announce a $100 million program to fund zero or low-interest loans so furloughed federal workers who live in Illinois can pay their bills during the partial federal government shutdown.
In addition, the Governor called on lenders doing business in the State of Illinois to waive fees and provide other support to furloughed workers, especially as they deal with mortgage payments, student loans and car loans. Lenders that have already agreed to participate are listed online at www.illinois.gov/shutdownaid; their assistance ranges from deferments on loans to 0 percent interest to assisting individuals on a case-by-case basis.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is also offering winter heating assistance to qualified federal workers through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Federal workers whose last 30 day income has been impacted by the federal shutdown can find a complete listing of LIHEAP’s local administering agencies and additional information about the programhere, or call the LIHEAP toll-free hotline at 1‑877‑411-WARM (9276).
More than 8,000 federal employees who live in Illinois have been affected by the partial shutdown that began Dec. 22. Nationally, the figure is more than 800,000.
“Through no fault of their own, federal employees living in Illinois are not receiving their paychecks while expenses continue to pile up,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We have an obligation as a state to do everything we can to help those paying a direct price for the actions of the president. This loan program will help those struggling to meet their day-to-day expenses as the shutdown drags on. My administration is continuing to explore all possible options to shore up critical services that receive federal funding, to make sure our most vulnerable families are protected from the harm the Trump shutdown might cause, and to assist impacted federal employees.”
The “linked” deposit loan program will be run by the Treasurer’s office in partnership with various banks and credit unions across the state. The Treasurer’s office will make deposits in participating financial institutions, allowing these institutions to provide below-market rates to federal workers who qualify for the program. For example, the state might offer a deposit at 0.01 percent if the financial institution agrees to loan out the money to federal works at 0.0 percent. Specific rates and terms of eligibility will vary by institution.
“This program will help bring relief for working families impacted by this impasse,” said Treasurer Michael Frerichs. “The President shut down the federal government and threatened the livelihood of thousands of families in Illinois to play political games. Difficult policy debates are a hallmark of government, but we cannot let our disagreements hurt working families who want nothing more than to pay their bills, raise a family, and save for the future.”
“The Illinois Bankers Association’s 300 member banks stand with Governor Pritzker in his call to assist workers who are struggling with the federal government shutdown,” said Linda Koch, President & CEO, Illinois Bankers Association. “We are proud that banks throughout Illinois are offering help to federal employees and other businesses and individuals affected by the shutdown.”
“On behalf of the IBA Board of Directors, I thank Governor Pritzker for his leadership and call to action on this serious matter,” said Daniel P. Daly, Illinois Bankers Association Chairman and President & CEO, SENB Bank, Moline. “Illinois’ banking community takes pride in serving the needs of our customers, and certainly those individuals and businesses impacted by the shutdown are no exception. Our bank, and all Illinois banks, stand ready to help our customers through this hardship.”
“Based on the makeup of the membership, we have a number of the 270 credit unions in Illinois with a significant percentage of federal workers as members,” said Tom Kane, President Illinois Credit Union League. “Many of these credit unions have implemented formal programs to assist federal workers with special low or no interest payroll interruption loans, skip-a-payment options, or waiving penalties for cashing in a CD early. In addition, I would urge any furloughed federal employee who is a member of a credit union to stop into a branch and ask what they can do to help during this challenging time.”
A partial list of participating banks and credit unions offering assistance are below:
1st Mid America
Bank of America
BMO Harris
CIBC
Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU)
Community Plus Federal Credit Union
First Midwest Bank
Heartland Credit Union
Home State Bank
IH Mississippi Credit Union (IHMVCU)
KCT Credit Union
R.I.A. Federal Credit Union
Scott Credit Union
JP Morgan Chase
SENB Bank
SIU Credit Union
University of Illinois Community Credit Union
U.S. Bank
U.S. Employee Credit Union
Wells Fargo
Wintrust
Vibrant Credit Union
A full list services being provided by participating banks can be found here and participating credit unions can be found here. For more information on aid for federal workers during the shutdown visit the governor’s website at www.illinois.gov/shutdownaid. The site will be updated periodically with additional information.
Ald. Rod Sawyer says wearing a wire to snare colleagues and save his own neck is “not how I was raised.” Where he comes from, if you get caught doing something wrong, you “take your punishment and keep your mouth shut.”
Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), the always outspoken Budget Committee Chairman, was suddenly speechless when asked to comment about Solis.
“Not about Danny. I might cry,” Austin said. “You don’t do that. You just don’t.”
Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris (8th) offered a variation on Don Corleon’s infamous admonishment to his son in the movie, “The Godfather”: “Don’t take sides against the family.”
“I try to think that we’re a family down here and we all work together. So, I got to say it’s probably a little disheartening for me,” Harris said.
…Adding… Paul Vallas…
My fellow candidates have been extremely and unusually quiet today, so let me be the first to call out the latest episode around corruption at City Hall. I said it first and I will say it again – there is a “code of silence” amongst Chicago’s political elite – including many elected and appointed officials and those who lobby to them, many of whom have made generational wealth of the city. Today’s revelation that Alderman Solis wore a wire to tape criminally-charged Alderman Ed Burke is just the latest scandal at City Hall.
There was a code of silence around Laquan McDonald and cover up of the video tape. There was a code of silence around former Country Assessor Berrios and his outrageous tax assessment practices that punished working families. There was a code of silence around the $22 million no-bid contract that landed CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett in prison. There was a code of silence around Emanuel and McCarthy’s degradation and scapegoating of the police department. This has got to stop!
There are only two reasons someone would wear a wire when conversing with public servants: they are in trouble themselves and are seeking to lighten the consequences through cooperation, or they have a sense of integrity. I won’t pretend to know which is the case in this instance of Alderman Solis taping conversations with the charged Alderman Ed Burke.
However, the sense of betrayal that is being expressed today by some other aldermen is frankly disgusting. One alderman said Solis was like “family,” with the clear inference that Solis betrayed the family. If there is a family of aldermen like that, then it is a crime family with a code of silence – and every one of the machine candidates who got into this race after Emanuel bowed out is connected to Alderman Burke in some way or another. I will be holding a press conference tomorrow to talk more about those connections. It is time for a clean sweep at City Hall. We need a Mayor and a City Council that are honest and puts our citizens first.
* Some interesting layers to this Tribune story. First…
Ald. Edward Burke’s son was under internal investigation for allegedly making inappropriate sexual comments at the sheriff’s office when Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s administration hired him to a nearly $100,000 per year job, newly released records show. […]
One investigation began after a female sheriff’s employee alleged that Burke was “consistently disrespectful of women,” talked about sex acts and would leave the office by saying, “I’m leaving, going to watch the girls on Rush Street,” records show.
Preckwinkle’s office denies knowing anything about that investigation.
* Preckwinkle and Sheriff Tom Dart have feuded for years, so this is also a fascinating angle…
[The female sheriff’s employee] also said Burke called himself “the law,” claimed to have “tapes” that would “humiliate” Dart, vowed to run for sheriff and said he would fire a bunch of employees when he won, records show. […]
A male lieutenant filed a separate complaint from a female employee against Burke, claiming he made false allegations against the supervisor and had said publicly he had $11 million for a sheriff’s run.
The lieutenant quoted Burke saying that if anything happened to him as a result of his own complaint against the supervisor, “his father (Ald. Burke) would take care of it,” according to the records.
Rumors about the younger Burke challenging Dart circulated for quite a while. So, Preckwinkle got a twofer. She did a solid for a powerful alderman and hired someone who thoroughly despised Dart, which probably irked the sheriff.
Also, I don’t hate patronage because people who campaigned for their bosses get jobs. That’s never really bothered me. I hate patronage when connected, self-entitled swellheads think they can’t ever be touched (and rarely are) no matter what they do. The world would be a much better place if politicians would stop protecting their mopes. But that won’t happen, obviously.
At the first City Council Finance Committee meeting in decades without embattled Ald. Edward Burke in charge of the body, aldermen on Tuesday took a step toward giving up the $100 million-per-year workers’ compensation program he has long tightly controlled with little oversight.
Ald. Patrick O’Connor ran his first meeting as chairman of the committee weeks after federal authorities charged Burke with attempted extortion and he stepped down from the powerful post. Burke did not attend Tuesday’s meeting as O’Connor fielded questions from aldermen pushing for more transparency about how the opaque workers’ compensation program is run.
The committee voted to move workers’ compensation to the city Finance Department, a change Mayor Rahm Emanuel backed as one of several City Council reforms after the charges against Burke.
With President Donald Trump and the GOP prolonging the partial government shutdown, a Republican lawmaker had an uncomfortable run-in Tuesday when a fellow airplane passenger found him flying first class from Chicago to Washington, D.C., according to a video of the encounter shared with HuffPost.
“Congressman, do you think it’s appropriate to fly first class while 57 TSA agents aren’t being paid?” the person says to Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), in an apparent reference to the Transportation Security Administration’s 57,000 employees, who are being required to work without pay. […]
Davis remained silent, prompting the person to say, “Taking that as a yes.”
“Taxpayers paid for this flight? Fair enough,” he added.
Davis spokesperson Ashley Phelps told the site that the lawmaker has never used tax-payer money to purchase first-class tickets, and did not do so for Tuesday’s flight.
Phelps said Davis’s office bought a coach ticket and was upgraded to first class because of his frequent flyer status.
“There was no additional cost to taxpayers,” she said.
OK, fine. I’ve taken upgrades before (the first time was when I was 16 and was delighted to be treated to champagne at takeoff). And the frequent flyer upgrades are allowed by congressional ethics rules. But it’s not like this hasn’t been an issue for Davis in the past. From the 2014 campaign…
Eerily prescient right down to the shutdown.
Not to mention that an ad on endless loop supporting Davis last fall made a big issue out of his opponent’s membership in a local yacht club.
The safety and health of our residents and staff is the highest priority for the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. To ensure that you are fully informed, I’m writing to provide information about a recent case of Legionellosis at the Manteno Veterans’ Home.
On January 8, 2019, a sole case of Legionellosis was detected in a resident who lived at the Manteno Veterans’ Home.
At the time of the diagnosis, we immediately put protocols into place out of an abundance of caution, including installing filters on all showerheads, conducting additional wellness checks on residents, conducting thermal eradication of our water, and increased flushing of the water system. Engineers also conducted additional testing of the water to determine whether there was a “false positive” or whether other locations in the facility had been impacted.
On January 22, 2019, the Manteno Veterans’ Home received our first preliminary water sample test results. These results showed low levels of Legionellosis at three fixtures: a faucet, a sink, and a shower. These three water fixtures were immediately taken out of service. To confirm these test results, the facility will undergo additional testing on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. Results for the second round of tests are expected on February 1, 2019 and we will promptly communicate those results to you and your family.
Through this period, we will support the care of residents and staff with filtered and bottled water. Bottled water and fresh ice are being delivered to the home for drinking and preparing meals. Filters in showers will remain in place until Legionella-free water test results are received. IDVA will continue increased resident vital sign checks. Legionella bacteria exist in most public places, and test results can vary day by day, which is why we will continue testing and keeping rigorous protocols in place to protect the health and safety of our residents and employees.
We will continue to inform you of developments moving forward. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tanya Huston, Manteno Home Administrator at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, ext. xxx. The State of Illinois will take every precaution necessary to protect our residents, staff, and visitors at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Manteno.
Sincerely,
Brig Gen (R) Stephen Curda, Ph.D. Acting Director
Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA)
Surrounded by environmental advocates in the state capital’s Southwind Park, Governor JB Pritzker took executive action joining the U.S. Climate Alliance, becoming the 18th governor to uphold the environmental protections despite President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
“I ran on a bold agenda to protect our environment, help our workers thrive and build the 21st century economy our state deserves, and now I’m taking action to join the U.S. Climate Alliance and stand on the side of science and reason,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to join the bipartisan coalition of governors and states committed to upholding the provisions of Paris Climate Agreement. While the president is intent on taking us backwards, I will work hard every day to move our state forward. We know that climate change is real. We know it’s a threat. And we know we must act.”
Advancing a key environmental priority, the governor officially signed on to the U.S. Climate Alliance which commits the state to the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement in order to protect Illinoisans from the damaging effects of climate change. President Trump pulled out of the international agreement on June 1, 2017.
Executive Order 2019-06 also directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to monitor the Trump Administration’s environmental proposals and identify opportunities to protect Illinoisans from environmental harm. The executive order takes effect immediately.
“Communities across America are facing the impacts of climate change. We need more leaders like Governor Pritzker that are committed to deploying climate solutions, promoting sustainable economic growth and creating high-quality jobs,” said Julie Cerqueira, executive director of the U.S. Climate Alliance. “We welcome the state of Illinois into the Alliance, and look forward to supporting their priorities and learning from their experience.”
“The governor’s commitment to clean energy will improve public health and bring new economic opportunities and investment to Illinois,” said Jennifer Walling, president of the Illinois Environmental Council. “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that we have just 12 years to limit carbon emissions in order to keep climate change at moderate levels. Governor Pritzker’s executive action commits Illinois to the goals of the U.S. Climate Alliance.”
“By joining the U.S. Climate Alliance as one of his first acts in office, Governor Pritzker is showing the world that, even though Donald Trump wants out of the clean energy economy, Illinois is all in,” said Jack Darin, director of Sierra Club Illinois. “We can and must reach these climate goals, and we know we need to do so in a way that puts our workers and disadvantaged communities first. We know Governor Pritzker shares these values and can unite Illinois in planning for the 100% clean energy future we all want, and that starts today.”
“Climate change is real and Illinoisans are already experiencing its harmful effects,” said Sen. Melinda Bush (D-31st), who chairs the Senate Energy and Environment committee. “I’m proud to stand with Gov. Pritzker in acknowledging science and taking action to preserve and protect our planet. We must make every effort to secure Illinois’ place as a leader in the green economy”
“The governor’s actions today will put Illinois at the forefront of efforts to develop and use clean energy and take concrete steps to reduct carbon emissions,” said Rep. Ann Williams (D-11th), who chairs the House Energy and Environment committee. “We must get serious about pushing back on the dangerous environmental policies of the Trump administration which have left our communities vulnerable and put the public health at risk. Today, under the leadership of Governor Pritzker, we’ve done just that.”
One thing he could do is come up with some reasonable and uniform statewide siting requirements for solar and wind power to prevent local NIMBYs from stopping reasonable developments. Counties are developing patchwork quilts of regulations, some reasonable, some less so. We need to standardize this across the state, but the various interest groups haven’t been able to reach an agreement on their own. An engaged governor could knock some heads and offer some capital plan goodies to convince folks to go along.
…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
While the Federal Government remains shut down, today’s announcement is an important reminder that the responsibility to protect citizens from the harms of climate change has fallen to the states. By signing on to the U.S. Climate Alliance, Governor J.B. Pritzker has taken an important first step in fulfilling his commitment to put Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2050, and he has demonstrated his leadership on climate action in the Midwest.
Illinois officials are going to undertake a comprehensive study of the Capitol dome after secretary of state workers noticed small pieces of concrete fell from the inside portion of the outer dome.
Described as about the size of marbles, the pieces do not represent an emergency situation, said Harl Ray, senior project manager for Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office is in control of the Capitol. […]
There is space between the inner and outer domes, which is where the pieces concrete were seen. The metal skin of the outer dome is attached to lightweight concrete panels, which in turn are attached to the steel framework for the dome.
Ray said there is evidence of some leakage occurring in the outer dome, likely from places where the outer metal skin is bolted to the concrete panels. That probably has caused the pieces of concrete to fall. The last time the dome was patched for leaks was in 2000 or 2001, he said.
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois progressives ran, organized, voted, and won in 2018. Now it’s time to lead. Our victories this election showed there is strong support across Illinois for a bold, progressive agenda and leaders who can turn that agenda into action. We have the power to make Illinois a state that leads the nation on committing to 100% clean, renewable energy, reducing gun violence to keep our communities safe, expanding abortion access to all no matter where they live, their income or age. Working together, we can move Illinois forward on these issues and more — from workers’ and immigrant rights to criminal justice reform, LGBTQ equality, and affordable healthcare. We are one in the fight to build a state where all people can raise families in healthy, safe communities, with dignity and justice.
Forward Illinois is a coalition of leading progressive organizations representing more than 500,000 member-activists. Our work to mobilize voters around the progressive issues that impact us all didn’t end on Election Day. Now we’re taking our fight from the ballot box to the steps of our state Capitol to demand action. Learn more and join the fight at www.forwardillinois.com.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at ensuring the state is properly enforcing a politically divisive law that allows for the taxpayer funding of abortions — saying he was “concerned” former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration wasn’t “making sure that it was enforced for state government employees.” […]
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said that within the past month, some state employees had received notices that abortion is now covered under their plan. The group says Rauner’s administration “didn’t really prioritize fully implementing and creating the mechanics for people to be able to easily access abortion through Medicaid.”
“We were concerned and are concerned that the leadership that Gov. Rauner had in place wasn’t in fact making sure that it was enforced for state government employees,” Pritzker said. “And of course more broadly we want to make sure that private and public health insurance coverage included it and that it’s enforced. So we had some indications, but the most important thing is we’re going to make sure that everyone, every woman in state government has the coverage that she deserves.”
You may recall that I asked the governor’s office yesterday about complaints or compliance issues with state employee group health insurance plans. I was referred to the ACLU of Illinois.
* Ed Yohnka with the ACLU…
Here is the information about the state insurance plans’ coverage of abortion. This is based on information we received via FOIA requests in 2017 and mid-2018.
The following plans do not appear to cover abortion in most circumstances. As of the time of our FOIAs, it appears these three plans covered nearly half of all enrollees.
* Healthlink OAP. Appears to contain a life exception only. This plan does not renew until 2021.
* Aetna QCHP. Appears to contain a life exception only. This plan does not renew until 2021.
* Aetna HMO. Does not cover “elective abortion” or “abortion drugs.” This plan was renewed for FY2019. We do not have any more updated information to indicate if abortion was covered, but we believe it might not be.
The following plan just expanded its abortion coverage, but it is not complete.
* Health Alliance HMO. Before viability, it now covers abortions determined by the physician to be necessary. After viability, the abortion is covered if the life of the mother is endangered, the fetus has a condition incompatible with life outside the uterus, or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Based on the notice we received, it does not contain an exception post-viability for the health of the pregnant person.
Two other plans cover election abortions, but have a lifetime limit of two.
Clearly, mapmaking is a power that Madigan has no intention of ceding. So how to go forth? First, lawmakers can stop leaving the fight to others; that includes the U.S. Supreme Court. Those applauding the court’s decision to again hear a pair of gerrymandering cases this term should be careful what they wish for. The court’s new makeup has court observers worrying that the majority will protect, not reject, partisan maps.
That means Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers must take the matter out of justices’ hands by crafting a constitutional amendment that creates an independent commission to draw districts that let voters choose their political leaders and not the other way around, as well as answers the constitutional objections raised in past court challenges.
They must then demand en masse that Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton call identical bills — without amendments — for a vote. And Pritzker must sign it.
Um, governors don’t sign constitutional amendments. And governors who publicly and loudly demand things from Madigan don’t succeed. Perhaps the editorial board missed the last four years.
As I’ve said many times before, you don’t need a constitutional amendment to get a fairly drawn map. The best leverage Pritzker has is to stick to his March, 2018 pledge to veto any map “that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies.” If their super-majorities hold up, the Democratic leaders will try to override a map veto in 2021. Then it’ll be up to Pritzker to pick off as many members as he can to prevent the override.
But, think about it, if the Democratic leaders do wind up overriding a governor’s veto of an unfair map, there’s no way in Hades their members would’ve ever approved a constitutional amendment to remove that power from them and no amount of yelling at the clouds will do any good. The only leverage Pritzker would have at that point would be to threaten to do something drastic like shut down the government or something, and we’ve all seen how that turns out.
CHANGE Illinois wants legislation or a proposed state constitutional amendment that will strip legislative leaders of their map-drawing authority and transfer it to a bipartisan commission directed to draw maps without regard to voting patterns. That way, more voters will have a real choice on Election Day.
But Madigan is a ruthless political tactician who is determined to retain gerrymandering. Using the courts, he’s twice defeated efforts to put a proposed Fair Map constitutional amendment to a public vote.
Further, one ought not get too excited about Pritzker’s anti-gerrymandering pledge because, unfortunately, campaign promises don’t count for much.
When he was governor, Democrat Pat Quinn made the same pledge Pritzker did, only to meekly sign Madigan’s gerrymandered 2011 maps into law.
Quinn flip-flopped on a lot of things. For instance, he said he wouldn’t sign any tax increase above a single percentage point and signed a two-point hike. And Madigan knocked the remap amendments off the ballot with ease because they were Rube Goldberg contraptions which clearly exceeded the constitutional limits of what can and what cannot be placed before voters.
* From ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider…
An overwhelming majority of Illinois voters supports independent redistricting reform, but Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton have, through lawsuits and obstruction in the legislature, blocked all efforts to let the people have their voices heard. Governor Pritzker must follow through on his fair map pledge, work around Madigan and Cullerton, and empower rank-and-file Democrats to stand up to their leaders and enact meaningful change. Republican lawmakers are ready to work with Democrats on this critical issue to finally get the job done. It’s time for the people to truly be able to choose their representatives, not the other way around.
The Republicans have 44 members in the House and 19 in the Senate. That’s a very long way from the 71 and 36 required to pass a constitutional amendment over the objections of Democratic Party leaders.
I support fairly drawn maps, so it’s fine to keep up the heat, but people should retain some perspective and try to learn from the failures of the past. And one of the biggest failures is relying on frontal assaults against Madigan. They don’t work. They only make him stronger.
* Related…
* Sun-Times editorial: In the glow of victory, Governor, listen to the GOP on gerrymandering
Retiring Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the powerful chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, has secretly recorded more than a dozen conversations with Ald. Ed Burke (14th) over the last two years, including at City Hall, to help federal investigators build their corruption case against him, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Those conversations include Burke meeting with individuals seeking actions by the city, a source familiar with the matter said. […]
Solis’ cooperation is extraordinary, not only because the target was Burke but because Solis was a trusted ally of both Burke and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Solis’ position as Zoning Committee chairman gave him the influence and standing to arrange for meetings where Burke could pitch potential clients.
In late November, Solis surprised his colleagues by announcing that he would not seek re-election, ending a 23-year career in the City Council that began with his 1996 appointment by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley to replace the disgraced and convicted Ambrosio Medrano.
Now that his role as an FBI mole has been exposed, Solis is prepared to resign immediately and start taking his aldermanic pension, the source said.
