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Report: 6,000 kids - so far - have lost after-school program access after ISBE blunder

Afternoon roundup

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker’s senior political adviser confirms a story in the Atlantic about how Team Pritzker turned thumbs down on Minnesota US Rep. Dean Phillips’ presidential fantasies…

This is true. pic.twitter.com/IxVxUe2FcD

— Mike Ollen (@MikeOllen) October 27, 2023

* Center Square…

Township mental health boards in Illinois levy property taxes to fund local organizations and community mental health initiatives. The boards focus on mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities and issue contracts to local agencies to provide services for its residents.

Senate Bill 690 from state Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, would allow townships to ask local voters for increased taxes to fund these boards in certain townships. The measure passed Wednesday along party lines. […]

“This seems to be a way of arguably, almost taxation without honest representation,” [Sen. Craig Wilcox, R-McHenry] said. “This is not uncommon with the majority party in control. My fear is that we often do things through the legislature that arguably should have been put to the voters to make decisions in their local areas.”

Gillespie said the measure changes the language in a referendum, but Wilcox said that doesn’t account for the extra costs.

“The core of it was the failure to agree on how to properly do the referendum with the appropriate wording that would have highlighted to the constituents that this was not just an agreement on an established mental health board, but that it came with a price tag,” Wilcox said. “That’s what we were opposed to in that bill.”

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker today joined EVBox and other stakeholders for the launch of its new Illinois-built DC fast charger. Called the Troniq Modular, EVBox’s new product is a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) ready electric vehicle (EV) charging station. EVBox’s new DC fast charger is compliant with the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Build America, Buy America guidelines, which requires that chargers be produced in the United States with at least 55 percent domestic content. The launch event highlights the importance of clean energy businesses like EVBox, whose innovations will help bring Illinois closer to its goal of putting one million EVs on the road by 2030.

“I’m proud to work closely with industry partners, like EVBox, to advance our shared clean energy goals and accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Major EV, EV parts, and renewable energy manufacturers have chosen to locate or expand operations in Illinois thanks to our competitive incentives, unmatched infrastructure, world-class workforce, and commitment to the clean energy economy. We’ve increased our EVs on the road by 44 percent in just the last 10 months — a testament to the explosive growth rates we can facilitate when EVs are more accessible and more affordable for consumers.”

“In Illinois, we know the future is electric, which is why we’re becoming a hub for electric vehicles and EV innovations. Today’s announcement of the new Illinois-built DC fast charger is another step in our goal of one million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “And we are on the path to achieving our goal of 100% clean energy by 2050, thanks in part to REV Illinois. That means job creation across our state and protecting our environment for generations to come.”

With its North American headquarters in Libertyville, EVBox is a global leader in the EV charging sector and a key player in Illinois’ rapidly growing EV manufacturing ecosystem. Founded in 2010, EVBox is a market leader in electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVSE) that has delivered over 500,000 charging ports to partners and customers globally.

“As we look to the future of EV travel in America, we envision a charging station network that seamlessly connects cities and regions,” said Remco Samules, CEO of EVBox. “The electrification of transportation will reduce our carbon footprint and lead to cleaner air, improved health, and a more sustainable future for generations to come. Through public-private partnerships like the one we have with Illinois, we are setting the stage for this transition.”

With competitive incentives for EV sector manufacturing, rapid growth in EV adoption (44% year-over-year in 2023) bolstered by consumer rebates, and $12.6 million awarded so far for 350 fast-charging ports across the state, Illinois is leading the charge when it comes to electrifying our transportation system.

* ABC 7…

Governor JB Pritzker has issued a state disaster proclamation that will allow areas impacted by September flooding to access state resources to help with recovery efforts.

Cook County already issued a disaster proclamation earlier this month. However, the state disaster proclamation will allow for even more funds to go to southern Cook County communities.

* Is anyone actually buying the claim that Fields is still too injured to play?…

Quarterback Justin Fields (thumb), right guard Nate Davis (ankle) and cornerback Terell Smith (illness) have all been ruled out of Sunday’s game.

Fields will miss his second consecutive game with a dislocated right thumb. Rookie backup Tyson Bagent is expected to start in his place.

* For commenters and everyone else…

I love "The hierarchy of disagreement" and occasionally reshare it. We must learn to argue and disagree in a kinder, more efficient way. The article is worth reading. If you are pressed for time just read the pyramid and laugh at the lowest stage. Source: https://t.co/EIJyfDbD7X pic.twitter.com/oZoDL5ZuYT

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) October 26, 2023

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

* SJ-R | Bill that passed Illinois Senate could resolve SHS project tangled in property dispute: A project allowing new offices, an auxiliary gym, and classrooms for Springfield High School is caught up in a dispute over the fair market value of two properties needed for the construction. A bill advancing in the Illinois Senate would resolve the dispute in favor of Springfield Public Schools District 186.

* Crain’s | Talks over new PTO law for Chicago employers hit a bump: With a committee vote on expanding Chicago’s paid leave policy looming next week, business groups issued a statement saying the current proposal “ignores the business community and would have a devastating impact” on local industries. The statement came Friday after weeks of negotiations with the Chicago Federation of Labor, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, and other unions and worker advocacy groups.

* Chalkbeat | Schools have struggled to add learning time after COVID. Here’s how one district did it.: A year ago, school would have been over around this time, and the students at Columbus East Elementary would be walking out the door. But this year, a group of fifth graders were instead sitting on the school’s stage, reading aloud about the life of Rosa Parks as they worked on reading fluency and comprehension. Similar activities were taking place in nearly every corner of the school: In another classroom, students rolled dice to practice two-digit multiplication and huddled close to their teacher to review their work.

* WTTW | Jefferson Park Man Spent Night in Jail After Harassment Campaign Led by Police Brass, Misconduct Agency Finds: A Jefferson Park man spent a night in jail in November 2018 after being subjected to “an improper campaign of harassment” after criticizing a Far Northwest Side business group on Facebook for their response to the conviction of a White Chicago police officer for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald, a Black teen, according to evidence gathered by the agency charged with investigating police misconduct. The probe by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability concluded that two Chicago police lieutenants, including one who twice ran unsuccessfully for the Chicago City Council, “may have directed an improper campaign of harassment against (Pete Czosnyka) in retaliation for the exercise of his First Amendment rights.”

* Shaw Local | Mystery of McHenry County Jail inmate death: Officials decline to give details of man’s demise in July: Following weeks of questions, and nearly three months after Sabo’s death, the sheriff’s department responded to an email inquiry on Oct. 18 by saying the case is still “open and under investigation.” The coroner’s office, in an Oct. 10 email, said “Colton’s cause and manner of death are still pending.”

* Press Release | Paxton Media Group Acquires The Southern Illinoisan Newspaper: Paxton Media Group is a growing media company, having purchased numerous newspapers over the past few years in the Midwest and Southeast. PMG operates more than 120 newspapers in 14 states. Paxton owns six other newspapers in Illinois.

* WaPo | Mysterious bylines appeared on a USA Today site. Did these writers exist?: Staffers at Reviewed, a USA Today-owned website devoted to shopping recommendations, were about to end their workday Friday when one of them noticed something strange: Articles were publishing on the site by writers none of them had ever heard of — and using suspiciously similar language. Jaime Carrillo, a senior staff writer, couldn’t figure out where the reviews — for products like insulated drink tumblers and scuba gear — were coming from. “I stayed at my desk for the next hour, just kind of panicking over this new website that none of us had a hand in,” he said.

* Sun-Times | After 47 years, longest-serving Latina in CPS has no plans to retire: Myers has worked as the clerk at Ebinger on the Northwest Side for more than two decades. This fall, she celebrates 45 years at the school in various roles. And with 47 years overall working for the Chicago Public Schools, she’s the longest-serving Latina in the system.

* Lake and McHenry County Scanner | Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Dax scores multiple 1st-place awards at multi-state competition: Forlenza and Dax placed first in obedience, article search, suspect search, tracking and cadaver detection. The two also placed third in criminal apprehension, Covelli said.

* Milwaukee Business Journal | Quad closing Illinois plant, idling hundreds and shifting work to Milwaukee area: Commercial printer and marketing firm Quad will close a plant in Illinois with 350 employees and transfer production to plants in West Allis, Pewaukee and Pennsylvania.

* Fox 2 | This Illinois town ranks among America’s ‘most haunted’: Alton has fully embraced its haunted heritage, and visitors have the opportunity to explore it through various haunted tours. Alton Odyssey Tours, established in 1992 by local psychics Antoinette and Marlene Lewis, offer an array of experiences for ghost enthusiasts. These tours include Trolley Ghost Tours, a Haunted Beer Walk in partnership with Old Bakery Beer, and Haunted Walking Tours.

* Crain’s | If you’re dying to live in a former tombstone factory, here’s your chance: Mike Quinlan is asking just under $4 million for the house, a five-bedroom, roughly 7,500-square-foot contemporary he built inside the limestone walls of Anderson Monument Company beginning in 2017. It’s represented by Morgan McDermott of Coldwell Banker.

* Tribune | Luxury retailer Hermès reopens, further boosting Oak Street as the Mag Mile works to come back: Most of the retail space in the surrounding Gold Coast neighborhood, especially along Oak Street between Rush and Michigan Avenue, is now occupied, with several retailers such as Bottega Veneta Chicago and Burdeen’s Jewelry recently signing new leases, said John Vance, principal at Stone Real Estate Corp.

* AP | U.S. economy accelerated to a strong 4.9% rate last quarter as consumers shrugged off Fed rate hikes: Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals. Even though the painful inflation of the past two years has soured many people’s view of the economy, millions have remained willing to splurge on vacations, concert tickets and sports events.

* Crain’s | Cannabis operators sue feds over intrastate commerce: According to the statement, the coalition seeks to urge the federal government to not enforce the CSA in a manner that interferes with the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of cannabis, pursuant to state law.

* The Atlantic | The Huge Multistate Lawsuit Against Meta Isn’t Serious Enough: Teenagers are experiencing a mental-health crisis. And though the science is messy and the matter isn’t settled, many suspect that social media is, in some substantial way, tangled up in the problem. Following this instinct, legislators and regulators at both the state and federal levels have suggested a slew of interventions aimed at protecting young people from the potential harms of social platforms. Many of these efforts have so far fallen short on legal grounds, and broadly speaking, the status quo remains.

* The Verge | Hertz is scaling back its EV ambitions because its Teslas keep getting damaged : Part of the problem is linked to Hertz’s plans to rent EVs to ridehail drivers. Of the 100,000 Tesla acquired by Hertz, half were to be allocated to Uber drivers as part of a deal with the ridehail company. And drivers said they loved the Teslas! But Uber drivers also tend to drive their vehicles into the ground. This higher rate of utilization can lead to a lot of damage — certainly more than Hertz was anticipating.

11 Comments

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders back in May…

You may have seen or heard news over the past few weeks about an issue with funding for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program. This stemmed from the pandemic years when the agency allowed grantees to carry over unspent grant funds into the next year, rather than return them to ISBE to help fund the following year, per normal practice. ISBE did not adequately forecast the impact of the carryover allowance, leading to a projected shortfall of $12.4 million for FY 2024.

ISBE requested to use some of our ARP ESSER state set-aside funds to address the shortfall, and the U.S. Department of Education approved our request. This will fully cover the shortfall and allow us to meet all obligations to grantees in FY 2024. But there is still not federal funding available to allow us to offer renewals or a new grant competition in FY 2024, which means the grant cycle for the cohort initially funded for five years in FY 2019 concludes this year. Renewals and new competitions are only offered in years when funding is available, which is why the 21st Century grant application requires applicants to plan for sustaining programming once the grant concludes. The FY 2019 grantees serve 68 locations. ISBE staff are contacting all of the school districts, and 42 have indicated they intend to offer afterschool programming for students using other funding sources. Another 13 school districts are working through this possibility. This does not guarantee that the district will continue working with the 21st Century grantee, but it does mean that programming will continue for many of the affected students. […]

We take full responsibility for the lack of forecasting and the late communication to grantees and are taking action to prevent this situation from occurring again.

* Resulting coverage from ChalkBeat Chicago…

After-school programs for 27,000 Illinois students may be in danger of running out of money after next year because of an accounting error made by the Illinois State Board of Education. […]

A coalition of community groups that provide after-school programming — who estimate the shortfall as much larger — are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to use state dollars to fill the gap to help programs survive in the future.

If that gap is not closed, they say, programs that provide students with a safe space after school to participate in extracurricular activities, tutoring, and mental health services may not have enough funding after next year.

Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now), a group of Illinois after-school advocates, says these programs serve mostly Black and Latino students who attend high-poverty, low-performing schools. About 66% of students in the programs qualify for free and reduced lunch.

* Closures have begun, the Tribune reports…

Of 33 after-school programs that already lost funding in July, 27 have since closed their doors, affecting around 6,000 students across the state, [Susan Stanton, executive director of the statewide Act Now coalition] said. […]

Mah, Villanueva, Villivalam and around 20 other state legislators signed an Oct. 18 letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, urging the General Assembly to pursue the $50 million annual appropriation in support of the community learning center programs. As of Wednesday, Act Now spokesperson Emma Spencer said, the organization isn’t aware of any lawmaker committed to proposing an amendment to the budget.

8 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** House sponsor indicates SEIU Healthcare is winning legislative battle against nursing homes

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times…

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon is backing legislation that would provide tens of millions of dollars in property tax breaks for nursing homes in Cook County after accepting nearly $2 million in campaign contributions from their industry trade group, including more than $700,000 in the past year.

A political action committee for the Health Care Council of Illinois is one of Harmon’s biggest campaign contributors in recent years. It represents nursing home interests and is lobbying members of the General Assembly to pass the tax relief measure in coming days.

* Much of the information in the piece was covered by Crain’s Chicago Business a week ago. From that story…

If enacted into law, the measure would shift tens of millions of dollars “and maybe more” in annual property taxes from nursing facilities to homeowners and other businesses, according to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office. Some south suburban communities would be particularly affected. […]

The fray has largely gone under the radar. The provision involved was quietly tucked into a much larger property tax bill that mostly dealt with routine matters. The provision to cut nursing home taxes surfaced as an amendment introduced on May 19 in the state Senate, was approved by the full Senate on the same day, then sent to the House for concurrence. […]

A fact sheet distributed by the health care council and its lobbyist to lawmakers says the tax-cut bill would provide “critical relief” to 300 nursing homes in Cook County “that have been experiencing escalating property taxes and systemic inequities. . . .The current system is not sustainable and is adding to the financial burdens that could force some nursing homes to close and reduce access for residents in their communities who need it the most.” […]

[Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s] team found the tax shift from nursing homes to other taxpayers would exceed 2% of total valuations in several towns and hit 8.5% in Robbins. Chicago has a much wider tax base, but, even there, other taxpayers would have to have to pick up $441 million in valuation being removed from nursing homes, says David Morrison, deputy assessor for policy and intergovernmental affairs.

The House voted to concur on the amendment six days after the Senate passed the amended HB2507. It ended up clearing both chambers without a single vote against. The governor has suggested that members didn’t quite know what they were voting for.

* But here’s something not mentioned in either story: While it’s true that the Health Care Council of Illinois has contributed $115,000 to three of Harmon’s campaign committees since early August, the chief opponent to the amendment, SEIU Healthcare IL/IN, has contributed a total of $137,000 to Harmon’s personal and caucus committees since late August. And SEIU Healthcare has contributed a total of $373,000 to state legislative committees since the start of August, including $137,000 to Speaker Chris Welch’s personal and caucus committees.

Those contributions appear to have had an impact.

* The House’s chief sponsor, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, told Crain’s that she would move for an override, but also said she’d be willing to pull out the nursing home language if that’s what her colleagues wanted. Well, a week later, she indicated to the Sun-Times that her colleagues weren’t thrilled about voting to override the governor’s veto. But Rep. Kifowit’s quote was buried near the end of the story…

“In talking to members of the caucus, they want more discussion and research on this topic,” said state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego. “I think that they want to pause” and “look at it holistically how we can provide assistance to those nursing homes.”

If the bill’s sponsor in the originating chamber is saying that, then SEIU Healthcare has likely won the floor fight, regardless of any shenanigans in the spring. There’s still almost two weeks left to go, though.

*** UPDATE *** I asked the Senate sponsor of the amendment in question, Celina Villanueva, if Harmon or his chief of staff had anything to do with the nursing home language. Sen. Villanueva’s response…

No. This came out of the on going negotiations/convos with my House counterpart.

A whole lot of ink may have been spilled for nothing.

9 Comments

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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These staffing contracts, and the people who oversee them, need a much closer look

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Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a July 28, 2023 memo to IEMA Division of Operations staff sent by Acting Chief of Operations Mike McPeek…

The purpose of this memorandum is to update the Division on recent staffing changes and provide operational guidance to mitigate disruption to our operation. Effective today, 28 July, Chief of Operations, Marc Sullivan, Deputy Director of Emergency Management, Scott Swinford, and Legislative Liaison, Jen March, tendered their resignations and are no longer employed by the agency. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of them for their sacrificial service and contributions during their tenures. Each of them was instrumental in advancing both our division and our agency while serving the State during numerous historic response and recovery efforts.

* IEMA’s response to my questions, including if the resignations had anything to do with staffing contracts, including one (click here) with Favorite Staffing…

These were three distinct resignations due to unique circumstances and we can’t comment further on individual personnel matters.

IEMA, like agencies across state government, engaged in a variety of staffing contracts to respond to the unprecedented emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As these contracts continue to wind down the state is completing all federally required review processes to ensure federal funds were used properly. These resignations were not related to those processes.

* Lauren FitzPatrick at the Sun-Times kept digging. This is from August…

Records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, however, show that chief of operations Marc M. Sullivan was forced out July 28 “in lieu of termination for misconduct.” His boss, Scott Swinford, also stepped down the same day as deputy director, second in command to agency director Alicia Tate-Nadeau, using an oddly identical letter citing personal reasons to resign.

The records show Sullivan wrote a second letter to Tate-Nadeau asking for “a copy of the investigation findings that drove me into administrative leave, as well as my last evaluations so that I may use those to understand my shortcomings and reference accomplishments for future employment searches.” […]

The liaison, Jennifer March, also was pushed out July 27, according to documents that say she “resigned in lieu of termination due to poor performance.” […]

Documents signed by Tate-Nadeau show March and Sullivan are barred from working for IEMA again.

Interesting. Three of Director Tate-Nadeau’s very top people were initially praised by IEMA, but two of them were barred from ever working there again? Swinford and Sullivan had worked with Tate-Nadeau when she was a brigadier general in the Illinois National Guard. March worked for Tate-Nadeau at Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications for years. Tate-Nadeau is still running IEMA.

* FitzPatrick today…

Illinois taxpayers have been paying $28,000 to $48,000 a month for the executive assistant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s director.

Between February and August, the assistant accounted for $240,761.30 in billings — double the salary of her boss, Alicia Tate-Nadeau, during that period. […]

In response to questions about the costs, IEMA spokesman Kevin Sur said the contractor, Amy Gentry, resigned effective Thursday and that a state employee hired as the director’s assistant but “temporarily assigned” elsewhere would return to her former $84,000-a-year post Friday.

Gentry has recently been paid $156 an hour through a set of massive contracts earmarked for Illinois’ COVID-19 response. Her total billings to IEMA in other contracting roles through August top $1.03 million.

Timesheets show Gentry billed her time — as many as 350 hours a month — as “director support, Springfield/Remote,” or “Executive Assistant to the Director (Springfield/Remote), though invoices to the state define her pay rate and position as “Planner-IDPH” to “assist Illinois Department of Public Health on planning efforts.” […]

“It is because of Amy’s extensive knowledge on multiple Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations that we were able to address multiple issues/declared disasters and serve our agency and the people of Illinois,” Sur said. “Amy’s hours logged with our agency are reflective of her work, which have spanned multiple disasters.” […]

Gentry has been employed by All Hands Consulting, a subcontractor to Innovative Emergency Management that was hired by IEMA in 2020 as one of the firms aiding Illinois’ pandemic response, including testing sites and vaccination clinics. […]

Gentry’s highest billing month was March 2022 — $60,055.42 for 350 hours at $171.22 an hour as an “Ops Chief Assistant,” “developing state to local vaccine operation plan.”

She logged 350 hours again in January 2023 as a “Planner-IDPH” for $156 an hour, or a little less than $55,000. IEMA won’t release those timesheets.

So, if Gentry was so good, why did she quit?

Also, Elizabeth Findley served as Tate-Nadeau’s private secretary, but she was ousted in August, according to the Sun-Times…

“Elizabeth Findley’s last day was August 22, 2023,” reads an auto-reply from her state email. “Please direct all inquiries to Amy Gentry amy.gentry@illinois.gov.”

Hmm.

Do you get the feeling that you can’t trust anything IEMA is saying?

* Let’s move on to a Tribune story from last week…

When a security guard clocked out of a Streeterville migrant shelter one Friday in March, he’d just logged his 84th hour at work that week.

His bosses told the city it was at least his 56th day in a row working a 12-hour shift, according to invoices they filed with the city — invoices whose sizable overtime helped contribute to tens of millions in city payments to the firm staffing the city’s migrant shelters.

The security guard was employed by Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a national employment firm that has become the city’s biggest contractor to handle the growing migrant crisis. Under the deal, the city hired the firm to provide case workers, security guards, janitors and many other employees for the migrant shelters — at initial base rates ranging from $60 to $150 an hour.

Invoices reviewed by the Tribune show that hundreds of Favorite Staffing workers logged 84-hour workweeks — with the overtime, paid at a 50% premium, helping balloon bills that topped at least $56 million. At a Woodlawn shelter in early February, for example, two-thirds of the 50 staffers logged working at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. At the Streeterville site one week in March, roughly 8 in 10 workers logged the same hours. […]

A former aide to Mayor Lori Lightfoot described the amount of hours billed as “not surprising” given the scope and urgency of the services, while Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s spokeswoman defended the payments as a frustrating byproduct of a nationwide worker shortage at a time staffers are most needed to help open and run shelters.

“A humanitarian crisis that requires 24/7 staff at multiple sites throughout the city unfortunately will result in staff working overtime,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a written response to questions.

This is definitely a crisis requiring lots of staff working long hours amidst a national worker shortage. The question is if the people are actually putting in all those hours.

* Tribune today…

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has renewed a controversial contract with the out-of-state company that staffs the city’s migrant shelters despite its significant overtime billing, a move his team said was its only option as efforts to replace the costly firm with cheaper, local alternatives have hit snags.

Favorite Healthcare Staffing and the city on Monday signed a $40 million extension through October 2024. It’s Johnson’s third extension for the firm and empowers the company to continue hiring caseworkers, security guards, janitors and other employees for the roughly two dozen migrant shelters housing thousands of Chicago’s asylum-seekers. […]

“If we were to kill the contract, who would staff these spaces?” Pacione-Zayas said during a briefing with reporters. “We would get slammed and critiqued on that. And so we’re being responsible while trying to come up with new ways to be responsive and also sensitive to the fact that the city of Chicago is paying for this.”

A recent Tribune investigation found that the city has paid out extensive volumes of overtime as part of its original deal with Favorite Staffing. A small selection of invoices provided by the city following a Tribune request for all of Favorite Staffing’s invoices shows hundreds of Favorite Staffing workers logged working 84 hours a week — with a majority of that time being paid at an overtime rate at a 50% premium. […]

Pacione-Zayas said Thursday that doing away with Favorite Staffing is easier said than done, but the administration plans to announce new staffing contracts for some of its 25 shelters in mid-November. Favorite Staffing, though, will continue working at more than half those shelters due to lack of interested bidders and other procurement restraints, she said.

* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked yesterday whether he thought the Favorite Staffing contract should undergo a performance audit and whether the state was going to look at its own contract with the company…

Again, it’s up to the city to manage their contract because it’s a direct contract with the city that gets negotiated. We have a general contract, essentially under which they’re able to do it. And I’d just remind you that the point of these contracts, because there are lots of folks who provide individual services that you could go find, it’s very hard to have a contract with someone who can on-the-spot in an emergency be able to deliver the kinds of things that these companies are able to do. And so that is an expensive thing. We’ve got to keep people from taking other jobs while they’re waiting for an emergency to occur somewhere. And in this case, it would be for the city of Chicago. So obviously, we you know, everybody should be keeping track of you know, the expenditures that they’re making. But I just want to remind the folks who are paying attention to these contracts that having a long term, you know, emergency-related contract is an expensive endeavor. That’s actually why they’re so hard to get

Please pardon all transcription errors.

Asked if people were doing good work if they were working 12-hour days for 56 days straight taking care of people, Pritzker said…

No, but again, of course, I understand what you’re asking me. I don’t, my answer’s not no. My answer is that emergencies are what you think they are right? They occur. You don’t know how many hours you’re going to have to apply. You don’t know how many people that are available to do the work that’s necessary. And so sometimes overtime is absolutely necessary. We’ve seen that in all kinds of things throughout the pandemic. So, you know, if there were more people available, I think we all know there’s a labor shortage in the country. And so if there are more people that are available, the prices, costs come down.

Again, there is no doubt that the country has a worker shortage. There’s also no doubt that emergency situations require people to put in long hours. The question here and with the IEMA contract is whether people are actually putting in the work. And considering how IEMA’s stories keep shifting, it’s a legit question.

Hopefully, the internal IEMA rumors about an ongoing investigation by the Office of Executive Inspector General are true and somebody will get to the bottom of this.

22 Comments

West Town residents file lawsuit to delay shelter for asylum-seekers

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ABC Chicago…

A group of West Town residents have filed for a temporary restraining order to delay the opening of a shelter for Chicago migrants in the neighborhood.

The building designated for the shelter is a two-story structure that is currently an empty warehouse. It is zoned C1-2, which only allows for retail on the bottom and seven 700 square foot apartments above, but next week 200 migrant families are expected to move in.

[Resident and plaintiff James Cole] and several other residents who leave near the proposed shelter near Western and Ohio filed the lawsuit, saying the legal action isn’t about not wanting migrants in their backyard and instead is about the city bypassing the traditional zoning and permit process. […]

“The reason why we are in this situation is the mayor’s office has not been transparent with the process,” said 36th Alderman Gil Villegas.

Ald. Villegas said legal action will force the courts to decide if the city can use the executive order to bypass zoning laws. Residents said all they want is to be able to voice their concerns about a building they believe may not be suitable for so many families.

“Even other areas in our neighborhood that host them more humanly would be a better solution, but we haven’t had due process and our opinion to weigh in on that,” Cole said.

* Block Club Chicago…

The complaint also argues a lack of building permits issued during renovations of the facility endangers the block and neighborhood and lowers property values. […]

Ultimately, the lawsuit’s backers hope a court will decide how the Johnson administration can interpret the governor’s disaster proclamation and whether they can legally open temporary shelters without following zoning and construction rules, McKnight said.

“Really what we’re asking the court to decide is: Does the governor mean that we’re going to suspend the zoning regulations or the building code or whatever else you want to apply to it?” McKnight said. “Our position is that if the governor had meant to do that, the governor would have put it in the emergency proclamation or entered an executive order.”

The Mayor’s Office did not return a request for comment. At the Ukrainian Village community meeting, officials cited the disaster order to explain why the city does not need to follow established protocols for opening buildings when launching a temporary shelter.

South Shore residents re-filed a lawsuit to stop the city from housing asylum-seekers in public buildings earlier this month.

* Related…

* Tribune | Chicago renews migrant shelter contract with Favorite Staffing for another year despite criticism: Favorite Healthcare Staffing and the city on Monday signed a $40 million extension through October 2024. It’s Johnson’s third extension for the firm and empowers the company to continue hiring caseworkers, security guards, janitors and other employees for the roughly two dozen migrant shelters housing thousands of Chicago’s asylum-seekers.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago community organizations team up to provide health care for migrants: The influx of patients has led to a need for more bilingual health care workers. “We welcome any staff members who do have skills to help us in all of our sites throughout the city,” said Vicencio.

* Fox Chicago | Chicago volunteers assemble kits for migrants as suburb begins vaccination clinics: On Thursday evening, more than 50 volunteers assembled roughly 500 personal care kits. They’ll be distributed to migrants living at police stations, where there are still more than 3,000 new arrivals awaiting shelter placement.

15 Comments

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Happy Friday! What’s going on with y’all today?…

19 Comments

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: The first week of veto session is all wrapped up. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

∙ WAND: Illinois senators share stories of constituents, family impacted by Israel-Hamas war
∙ WTTW: Illinois House Approves Proposal Clearing the Path for Legislative Staff to Unionize But Future in Senate Is Unclear
∙ Center Square: Illinois lawmakers have yet to address expiring Invest in Kids scholarship program

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | Assistant in Pritzker’s emergency agency quits amid questions over pay that peaked at $48K a month: Illinois taxpayers have been paying $28,000 to $48,000 a month for the executive assistant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s director. Between February and August, the assistant has accounted for $240,761.30 in billings — double the salary of her boss, Alicia Tate-Nadeau — during that period.

* Sun-Times | Senate President Don Harmon gives back red-light-camera company’s campaign cash after Sun-Times report: “They returned those two contributions,” the spokesman says, referring to Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate and the ISDF fund for Senate Democrats. Each of those campaign funds is run by Harmon, D-Oak Park. Each accepted a $2,500 contribution from Redspeed Illinois on June 30, about six weeks after the General Assembly, with Harmon’s support, passed what was portrayed as reform legislation that banned political contributions from the red-light camera industry and company executives.

At 10:45 Governor Pritzker will be in Libertyville to launch a new Illinois-made EV charger at EVBox’s North America Headquarters.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* ABC Chicago | Maine mass shooting reignites debate over ‘Red Flag’ gun control laws in Illinois: “I think we need to start with a federal ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines,” said Gun Violence Prevention PAC President Kathleen Sances. “Every state should implement a Red Flag Law.” […] “Obviously… you have to have somebody who’s willing to report it if somebody’s willing to go through that process in order to have those red flag laws go into effect,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.

* Sun-Times | ‘Power and control’ frame Edward Burke’s legacy. A federal jury will soon decide that legacy’s coda.: From his perch as 14th Ward alderman, he controlled judicial slate-making, a position that propelled his wife to rise to the job of chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court even as he faced indictment. Even mayors who despised Burke didn’t dare to depose him as chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, fearing the potential he had to stymie their legislative agendas.

* WBEZ | Chicago officials are defending a contract extension with a Kansas-based company to staff migrant shelters: The city’s Department of Family and Support Services signed the yearlong contract extension Monday with Favorite Healthcare Staffing, the city’s procurement website shows. The city has paid the vendor at least $56 million, with numerous hours of overtime paid at a higher rate, the Chicago Tribune previously reported.

* Tribune | Chicago officials say trip to Texas helped build collaboration with border cities in addressing migrant crisis: In a briefing with reporters Thursday, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said the group’s biggest takeaway from the trip included the need for a coalition made up of border and interior cities, such as Chicago, to advocate for a comprehensive federal resettlement plan that includes increased and flexible funding for sheltering operations and overall expenses.

* Sun-Times | Highland Park massacre suspect’s father wants to call his son as a witness in his own trial next month: In a series of motions filed last week, Robert Crimo Jr.’s lawyer also asked a judge to use video of the son’s eight-hour interrogation with police as evidence. The shooting suspect’s father is set to go to trial Nov. 6 on counts of reckless conduct for signing his son’s gun-ownership application in 2019 when he was underage.

* TSPR | Farmer, former AFSCME president Crowl enters race in 17th Congressional District: Scott Crowl of Milan has joined the field of candidates for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District in next year’s election. Crowl touts himself as a lifelong farmer and former AFSCME union president, and not a career politician. “I am entering the political arena to try to save our country from economic disaster and social ruin,” Crowl said in a statement announcing his candidacy.

* Block Club | Bally’s Casino Gets Permanent Gaming License: In addition to greenlighting Bally’s casino license, the gaming board voted to allow Bally’s to extend its lease at Medinah Temple by an a year. This means Medinah Temple will remain a temporary casino until 2026, giving Bally’s another year to complete its permanent site.

* Sports Handle | Betway Withdraws Application For Online-Only Sports Wagering License In Illinois: The withdrawal by Betway again leaves all three online-only licenses unclaimed. It also again raises the question of whether the $20 million fee for an online-only license is too expensive an entry point despite Illinois being the No. 2 market nationally. Illinois welcomed its eighth mobile operator in late September with the launch of Circa Sports, which was followed by Circa’s retail launch at The Temporary in Waukegan earlier this month.

* WTTW | With a Comprehensive Overhaul for Chicago’s Pension Woes Elusive, Small Fixes on Tap for Veto Session: The working group formed by Mayor Brandon Johnson in June to tackle Chicago’s acutely underfunded pensions has yet to craft a comprehensive plan to address one of the major fiscal challenges facing the city — but small fixes could be on tap during this month’s veto session, members told WTTW News.

* Tribune | Suburban school district allows Hampshire students to perform musical featuring gay teens: ‘A lot of excitement and relief’: Susan Harkin, the superintendent of District 300, said in a statement Thursday that the district developed a “comprehensive safety plan” alongside law enforcement and the village of Hampshire that “provides the necessary protections for ‘The Prom’ to be performed within a safe and supportive environment.”

* Sun-Times | Brown Sugar Bakery opens new manufacturing facility, eyes nationwide expansion: Brown Sugar Bakery has been a mainstay on Chicago’s South Side and has operated at other locations, including at Navy Pier, that have closed. Its current storefront selling cakes, chocolates and candies is based in Greater Grand Crossing, at 328 E. 75th St. But now Hart will be able to sell her products nationwide with the new manufacturing facility, formerly the home of Cupid Candies’ factory, near 76th Street and Western Avenue. The new plant will likely employ 50 people by the end of the year, she said.

* Tribune | Former Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks named manager of the Windy City ThunderBolts: Jenks earned Pioneer League Manager of the Year honors after leading the Grand Junction Rockies to the championship in 2022. He served as pitching coach for the Princeton WhistlePigs of the Appalachian League last season. “I love baseball and I want to put a winning product on the field,” Jenks said. “I believe I can do that and my track record has shown that I can do that.”

* Block Club | Historians Push For Recognition Of Black Panther Party Site In Chicago: The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party is now working to update the listing of the church in the National Register of Historic Places to commemorate its Black history. The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council will consider the proposal Friday. If it recommends the amendment, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer will decide whether to nominate the change to the National Park Service, which would make the final determination about updating the listing.

* Tribune | UAW-Ford tentative agreement will bring thousands back to work at Chicago Assembly Plant in coming days: The UAW said Ford workers will return to work while the agreement goes through the ratification process. The strike will continue at Stellantis and General Motors. “There was a lot of excitement last night when we heard the news,” said Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551, which represents workers at the Chicago Assembly Plant. “There was a giant sigh of relief that we’re going back to work.”

32 Comments

Live coverage

Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Press Release | Jobs Up in Most Metro Areas in September: Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eleven metropolitan areas and decreased in three for the year ending September 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in all fourteen metropolitan areas.

* Illinois Times: Unsung Hero: Emma Shafer: Emma Shafer, 24, was a much-beloved community activist, friend an d family member whose life was taken suddenly and far too soon on July 11, 2023. Her life and her death have greatly impacted our community. Emma was involved in a multitude of social justice and community activist groups including Resistor Sisterhood, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, Sierra Club (Sangamon Valley), Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network, Moms Demand Action and many more. Emma often hosted “soup night” at her home to encourage activists of different causes to share ideas, debate topics and develop friendships. Her vibrant smile, bountiful hugs, hilarious sense of humor, thrift-store fashion and a serious passion for equity attracted people from all walks of life.

* WCIA | NTSB releases initial report on Teutopolis HAZMAT crash: The NTSB found that the Sept. 29 crash was caused by a car trying to pass the truck in a no-passing zone, right as another car was driving the opposite direction. To avoid a collision between the two cars, the truck driver said he steered to the right. The truck went off Route 40 and into a roadside ditch, hitting a 12-inch metal culvert in the process. The truck jackknifed and rolled onto its right side.

* Crain’s | Bally’s gets approval to operate at Medinah Temple until 2026: The board unanimously approved converting Bally’s temporary operating permit into a full casino license, which will not only be valid for the Medinah Temple, but also for the company’s future 505,000-square-foot casino along the Chicago River between Grand and Chicago avenues in River West, according to Gaming Board spokeswoman Elizabeth Kaufman.

* Peoria Journal Star | Here’s what Illinois lawmakers are saying about the new House speaker: Illinois Republican Darin LaHood, who represents Peoria in the 16th District, said he was proud to support Johnson as the next speaker. “Mike is a family man who understands the importance of advancing conservative policies that promote individual liberty, rein in spending, and secure the border, while also conducting needed oversight of the Biden Administration,” LaHood said in a statement. “Mike can unite our Conference and I look forward to working with him to deliver results for central and northwestern Illinois.”

* Farm Week | One Earth Energy proposes CO2 pipeline project: One Earth Sequestration, a Ford County-based firm, filed Oct. 18 its Application for Certificate of Authority (CoA) with the Illinois Commerce Commission to construct in Illinois the 7.34-mile One Earth Sequestration (OES) Pipeline. The project represents the third proposed CO2 pipeline before the ICC, after Wolf Carbon Solutions applied to build 166 miles of the Mt. Simon Hub Pipeline and Navigator CO2 Ventures moved to build 292 miles of the Heartland Greenway Pipeline System in Illinois.

* Pekin Daily Times | ‘Not for the people’: Tazewell board hears more opposition to CO2 pipeline: “These proposed pipelines are coming with one goal: to make money for their bottom line and their investors, not for the people,” said Elton Rocke, spokesperson for the Facebook group Tazewell County: Stop the CO2 Pipeline. “Although Wolf cites pipeline safety, they have partnered with Archer Daniel Midland, whose deplorable business record over the last 20 published years is almost $1 million in paid fines and penalties. These include OSHA violations, EPA violations and price fixing.”

* WIFR | Stephenson County Sheriff defends deputy, denounces Oath Keepers: [Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall] states Schroeder was first introduced to the Oath Keepers in 2010 by a friend that he had made during his time serving in the National Guard. According to Stovall, the friend told Schroeder that the group was “pro-law enforcement, pro-military, and a way to interact with fellow law enforcement officers and military personnel.” Schroeder then received a link to join the group online in which he accepted. A year later, in 2011, the deputy then changed his email address and had no continued contact with the group. Stovall noted that during this period Schroeder never attended an in-person meeting or had face-to-face interactions with any members of the Oath Keepers.

* Journal Standard | Stephenson County officials call for investigation into reported Oath Keeper ties: Wednesday, Jodi Coss, chair of the Stephenson County Democratic Party, said any officers’ affiliation with the group should be a concern to all residents regardless of their political affiliation. […] Coss said she is trying to determine if Schroeder’s ties to the group are a violation of the sheriff’s department’s code of ethics or code of conduct.

* Crain’s | Appeals court upholds $2.67 billion Blue Cross settlement: A federal appeals court has rejected an effort by Home Depot and other employers to revise a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The plaintiffs argued that the deal, which a district court approved last year, favors fully insured Blue Cross and Blue Shield customers over self-insured employers. In a decision handed down Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit rejected their plea and ordered the agreement to proceed as the lower court instructed.

* Crain’s | Pressure rises on both sides of anti-homelessness tax plan: Supporters of the Bring Chicago Home ordinance, which would raise the transfer tax on property sales worth $1 million and up, have a planned protest march at 10 a.m. in front of the Michigan Avenue offices of the Chicago Association of Realtors. The activists will deliver a “cease and desist” letter, in which they demand the city and state real estate associations quit lobbying against the proposal, according to a press release announcing the protest.

* South Side Weekly | Workers Put Pressure on CTA to Improve Working Conditions: “The CTA has been saving money hand over fist, cutting back on labor, quadrupling productivity.…It’s a superhuman ability of these train operators, what they’re doing now,” Basir said. “I always wanted to be a motorman ever since I was little. But I grew up when there were conductors [and] two-person crews. They’re undergoing so much mental [and] physical trauma. They say this is the most hated job—train operators. And it’s highly exploitative.”

* Tribune | 1.6 million acres of Great Plains grasslands were destroyed in 2021 alone, World Wildlife Fund says: Most grassland plowing has been occurring on private land as landowners have the option to plow, whether to make room for crops or commercial development. For instance, in March the Rockford International Airport began construction in the Bell Bowl Prairie, home of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee, to make way for a roadway. Meanwhile, very little federal-owned land can be plowed, Bolt said. In Illinois, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, about an hour outside Chicago, serves as an example of nearly 9,000 acres of protected grassland.

* Crain’s | Ford deal a ’stunning victory’ for union: Employees were called off picket lines shortly after the deal was reached, and many have been placed on temporary layoff as they await notification to return to work in the coming days, according to some who spoke with Crain’s sister publication Automotive News. That slow restart could add to Ford’s financial losses from the strike, which J.P. Morgan estimated Thursday at slightly more than $1 billion. Ford plans to release its third-quarter results Thursday afternoon, but it’s unclear whether executives will provide additional details on the tentative deal.

* Crain’s | Big Shoulders Fund Ball breaks attendance record in support of student scholarships: The 17th annual Big Shoulders Fund Ball was held in Wintrust’s Grand Banking Hall on Sept. 29 where a gathering of more than 500 set an attendance record for this event. Presented by the organization’s Next Generation Boards, the fundraiser brought in more than $200,000 to help provide a quality, values-based education for underserved children.

* News-Gazette | Nonprofit ecstatic over farm donation: The president of a Vermilion County-based nonprofit that serves special-needs individuals said board members and staff there are “just over the moon” with the gift of a 16-acre farm near Rankin that is likely to one day turn into a residential facility. The Wheeler Foundation board voted to donate the property to WorkSource Enterprises of Danville. President Todd Seabaugh said WorkSource works with developmentally disabled adults, assisting them with activities of daily living to increase their independence “to live in the community at the highest level possible.”

* Axios | X usage plummets in Musk’s first year: App downloads fell roughly 38% globally between October 2022 and September 2023, according to Sensor Tower estimates. In the U.S., mobile app downloads fell 57% in the same time period. Data from Data.AI, another app tracking firm, shows similar trends.

* Jim O’Donnell | From father to son, Bagent family line is all about confidence and winning: If Bagent and his laser release can emerge from the bright lights, big venue of Sofi Stadium at 2-0, more people will start to believe. What they’ll be believing is that he may be one of the most confident, efficient, adaptable young quarterbacks in the history of the Chicago Bears.

Illinois’ lack of an open public school enrollment policy criticized

It’s just a bill

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WMCL…

An Illinois House Democrat has been trying to phase out the sub-minimum wages for workers with developmental and intellectual disabilities since 2019. During this past legislative session, the Dignity in Pay Act failed to gain enough support after an intense debate.

Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) believes that the state should empower people with disabilities to maximize their employment and self-sufficiency. Mah believes it is wrong that some disabled workers are being paid much less than the state’s minimum wage and it is past time to eliminate the sub-minimum wage.

However, other lawmakers, such as State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) and State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) believe a lot of these workers will be without jobs if the bill passes. Severin had this to say…

“In talking with the the workshops in Southern Illinois, they said, you know, not only does this impact the people that are working now, but it prohibits those that want to come come in that would qualify and would come to a workshop to work. Those young people that are coming out of schools that are qualifying for opportunities to come to workshops and those types of facilities. It prohibits them the opportunity to have a job. So this is a very important issue, and we need to stand firm across both sides of the aisle.”

* HB4197 filed by Sonya Harper…

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to annually review and update the underlying data for, and use of, indicators used to determine whether a community is designated as an environmental justice community and to establish a process by which communities not designated as environmental justice communities may petition for such a designation. Provides that an applicant for a permit for the construction of a new source that will become a major source subject to the Clean Air Act Permit Program to be located in an environmental justice community or a new source that has or will require a federally enforceable State operating permit and that will be located in an environmental justice community must conduct a public meeting prior to submission of the permit application and must submit with the permit application an environmental justice assessment identifying the potential environmental and health impacts to the area associated with the proposed project. Provides requirements for the environmental justice assessment. Provides that a supplemental fee of $100,000 for each construction permit application shall be assessed if the construction permit application is subject to the requirements regarding the construction of a new source located in an environmental justice community. Contains provisions regarding public participation requirements for permitting transactions in an environmental justice community. Provides that, if the Agency grants a permit to construct, modify, or operate a facility that emits air pollutants and is classified as a minor source, a third party may petition the Pollution Control Board for a hearing to contest the issuance of the permit. Contains provisions regarding environmental justice grievances. Defines terms. Contains other provisions.

* Rep. Carol Ammons introduced HB4198 yesterday…

Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election authority may elect to mail a vote by mail ballot to all qualified voters instead of sending notices and applications for permanent vote by mail status. Requires the election authority to make a list of all voters to whom the vote by mail ballots will be sent, publicly post that list, and send the list to the State Board of Elections. Provides that a person who has never voted before may not be sent a vote by mail ballot under the provisions unless the person first provides the election authority with sufficient proof of identity and the election authority verifies the person’s proof of identity. Provides that a person may request, in writing, to the election authority that the person not receive a ballot sent under the provisions. Provides that the election authority shall keep a record of a person who has made a request and, in all future elections following receipt of the request, shall instead send the person who made the request a notice and application for permanent vote by mail status.

* Rep. Mary Flowers’ HB4199…

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that notwithstanding any other law or rule to the contrary and subject to federal approval, when calculating a household unit’s monthly earned income for purposes of determining eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the Department of Human Services shall only consider the household unit’s monthly after-tax income, as defined. Requires the Department to also disregard any change in a household unit’s monthly earned income due to any minimum wage increase implemented on or after January 1, 2023 in accordance with any State law or county or municipal ordinance. Requires the Department to apply for any federal approvals required to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Permits the Department to adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act.

* Rep. Charles Meier introduced HB4200…

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall direct all State-operated developmental centers to conduct all interviews and testing of an applicant applying for a position as a mental health technician in a single day at the facility at which the applicant is applying for employment. Provides that, if the applicant passes the initial interview and testing process, any required drug testing and background check shall be completed at the direction of the State-operated developmental center within 7 days after the date of the initial interview and testing. Provides that, if the applicant is found to be eligible for employment as a mental health technician, the State-operated developmental center shall, within 30 days after the initial interview and testing, notify the applicant of its decision and inform the applicant of the date of his or her first day of employment at the facility. Provides that the Department may adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the provisions.

* SB382 is in the House after passing the Senate 57-0 yesterday…

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Civil Remedies for Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images Act. Changes the definition of “depicted individual” to mean an individual whose face or body (rather than only body) is shown, in whole or in part, in a private sexual image or digitally altered sexual image (rather than only a private sexual image). Defines “digitally altered sexual image” to mean any visual media, including any photograph, film, videotape digital recording, or other similar medium, that is created or substantially altered so that it would falsely appear to a reasonable person to be an authentic depiction of the appearance or conduct, or the absence of the appearance or conduct, of an individual depicted in the media. Provides that a person is not liable under the Act if the person proves that the dissemination of or a threat to disseminate a digitally altered sexual image was made in good faith, made in good faith in the reporting or investigation of unlawful conduct or unsolicited and unwelcome conduct, or related to a matter of public concern.

* SB856 also made it out of the Senate…

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Illinois Identification Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that an applicant for an identification card or driver’s license who is an employee of the Department of Children and Family Services with a job title of “Child Protection Specialist Trainee”, “Child Protection Specialist”, “Child Protection Advanced Specialist”, “Child Welfare Specialist Trainee”, “Child Welfare Specialist”, or “Child Welfare Advanced Specialist” may elect to use his or her office or work address in lieu of the applicant’s residence or mailing address on an application for an identification card or driver’s license. Effective January 1, 2024.

13 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Gov. Pritzker’s amendatory veto message on HB3445…

House Bill 3445 contains many valuable provisions to advance energy policy in Illinois. However, the right of first refusal language inserted by Senate Amendment 4 will eliminate competition and raise costs for rate payers by giving incumbent utility providers in the MISO region a monopoly over new transmission lines. Raising costs for rate payers is particularly concerning in the MISO region, where there is currently over $3.6 billion in planned transmission construction in the Ameren service territory.

Without competition, Ameren ratepayers in downstate Illinois will see higher electricity bills to pay for the higher cost of these transmission projects. Competitively bidding transmission construction, instead of giving the utility a monopoly, has been proven to lower project costs significantly.

Just last year, the federal Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission criticized a similar right-of-first-refusal proposal at the federal level, citing the benefits of competition to consumers through lower rates, improved service, and increased innovation. (Comment of U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to Building for the Future Through Electric Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation and Generator Interconnection, FERC Docket No. RM21-17-000 (Aug. 17, 2022)).

My administration has always been committed to working with stakeholders and our partners in the General Assembly to enact meaningful energy policy. However, I cannot support the ROFR provision of this legislation that will unnecessarily put a higher cost burden on consumers.

* From Ameren Chairman and CEO Leonard Singh’s recent letter to the General Assembly…

• FERC has fallen short – Out-of-state energy developers embrace the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) model because, absent state intervention, it bypasses local control and increases their profits. But the reality is these FERC policies have failed to produce innovations or generate cost reductions for expanding the nation’s electrical grid transmission capabilities. According to a recent study, “… competitive solicitations have not delivered innovation, cost savings, or timely development of transmission… it is important to consider the real results of competitive processes to date, compared against claims of significant cost savings.”

• ROFR maintains competition – At Ameren, our contractors earn their opportunities through a competitive bidding process. Under ROFR, Ameren will maintain the competitive bidding we have always utilized when building transmission lines. Maintaining Ameren’s current ability to build needed transmission lines ensures projects are not awarded to out-of-state developers with no vested interest in Illinois.

• ROFR holds down costs – At Ameren, we have a responsibility to build and manage transmission projects in a cost-effective manner to keep rates reasonable. Here’s an example of what can happen in Illinois if transmission development costs from out-of-state developers are not closely managed, with oversight given to Washington D.C.: A non-incumbent developer recently asked FERC to allow it to recover more than double the cost of a 125-mile transmission line project in California. The developer “won” the project with a bid of $259 million and asked FERC to allow it to charge consumers $553.3 million. If ROFR does not become law today, potential cost overruns by out-of-state developers with a track record of project mismanagement will drive costs higher and raise customer bills.

• ROFR protects local jobs – Without local-build provisions, the outsourcing of transmission construction to inexperienced non-union workers and out-of-state entities is imminent. Illinois-based contractors will be shut out of significant transmission work. Our local communities will lose the high-paying skilled jobs and the resulting economic benefits. Safety and reliability will be compromised.

• ROFR ensures service reliability – Contrary to what you’re being told, Illinois-regulated utilities like Ameren are the only companies capable of accelerating construction of new transmission lines on our systems. If ROFR does not become law today, construction delays will risk realization of reliability and clean energy benefits for downstate customers.

* Center Square…

Corey Stone with Illinois Brotherhood of Electric Workers 51 said out-of-state companies that could land these projects won’t use Illinois workers.

“These members and the members of the other Illinois labor unions who work on these transmission projects live here, are active in their community, and contribute to the Illinois economy,” Stone said during a Wednesday news conference in Springfield.

* Tribune…

State Rep. Larry Walsh, the Elwood Democrat who sponsored the original measure, vowed to return in the spring with an even broader proposal to give utilities statewide the permanent right of first refusal on transmission projects. That would include scandal-plagued Commonwealth Edison. […]

It’s unclear whether such a campaign would prove convincing to Pritzker, who could once again wield his veto pen to stop it from becoming law.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Beyond the controversy surrounding the right of first refusal, transmission line construction has become a front line in the fight over climate change in recent years, particularly regarding who will profit from and regulate new construction.

This is because as new energy sources like solar or wind farms come online, they need new lines to deliver their power to the grid.

The International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental advisory group based in Paris, released a report this month that found the world will need to build or replace around 50 million miles of grid by 2040 to meet clean energy goals, which is roughly equivalent to replacing the entire current global grid. That report also found grids are becoming a “bottleneck” in the transition to zero-emission electricity systems.

* Lee News…

Eight states in MISO have right-of-first-refusal laws on the books. Many were enacted after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2011 eliminated the federal right-of-first refusal for regionally-planned transmission lines in hopes of spurring more competition and lower costs.

* Rep. Ann Williams, who chairs the House Energy & Environment Committee…

I agree that we must use skilled Illinois union labor for these energy-related infrastructure projects. I look forward to more conversations this spring with organized labor, Ameren and environmental advocates to consider transmission issues as part of a broader conversation about creating the infrastructure to ensure a clean energy future, build capacity, put consumers first, and address the climate crisis.

Rep. Williams’ statement leads us to this…

* The Question: Would you support statewide Right of First Refusal for incumbent utilities like Ameren and ComEd, or a statewide law mandating the work be done with requirements like project labor agreements and prevailing wage, which is the same standard for large wind and solar projects? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

online polls

15 Comments

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Reason Foundation’s report on state open school enrollment policies…

A 2023 Available to All report found that 24 states criminalize address-sharing—a practice where parents falsify their address to gain access to a public school other than their assigned one. Parents caught doing so can face hefty consequences, including being incarcerated in 20 states and fined in 16 states. For example, parents caught address-sharing in Texas can receive maximum prison sentences of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of $10,000. Robust open enrollment laws, however, can reduce the number of families risking address-sharing since it weakens the tie between housing and schooling. […]

Reason Foundation finds there are five key components to robust open enrollment laws. While no state has fully adopted all five best practices yet, six states have adopted at least four of them.

Reason’s Five Best Practices for Open Enrollment

#1 Statewide Cross-District Open Enrollment

School districts are required to have a cross-district enrollment policy and are only permitted to reject transfer students for limited reasons, such as school capacity.

#2 Statewide Within-District Open Enrollment

School districts are required to have a within-district enrollment policy that allows students to transfer schools within the school district, and are only permitted to reject transfer requests for limited reasons, such as school capacity.

#3 Transparent Reporting by the State Education Agency (SEA)

The State Education Agency annually collects and publicly reports key open enrollment data by school district including transfer students accepted, transfer applications rejected, and the reasons for rejections.

#4 Transparent School District Reporting

Districts are annually required to publicly report seating capacity by school and grade level so families can easily access data on available seats. Open enrollment policies, including all applicable deadlines and application procedures, must be posted on school districts’ websites.

#5 Children Have Free Access to All Public Schools

School districts should not charge families transfer tuition.

Remember, this is about public schools, not private or parochial.

* Illinois…

Illinois meets none of Reason’s best practices policy goals and criminalizes
unsanctioned student transfers.

Students can transfer schools under very limited circumstances in Illinois, such as specific agreements between districts. School districts can charge cross-district transfers tuition. In fact, parents who knowingly enroll in a nonresident district and try to avoid paying tuition are guilty of a class C misdemeanor, which can result in up to 30 days of imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,300.

Within-district transfers are voluntary as districts have significant discretion regarding eligible transfers. For instance, districts can reject within-district transfer applications because the applicant doesn’t meet academic criteria required for enrollment at a particular school (as set by the LEA).

Unfortunately, the Prairie State’s transfer policy is weak on transparency. The state doesn’t require districts to post their available capacity on their websites, nor is the SEA required to collect and publish open enrollment data, such as the number of transfers and the reasons transfer applications are rejected

Illinois policymakers can improve their open enrollment options in three main ways:

● Require districts to participate in statewide cross-district open enrollment and require them to post about these options on district websites.
● Require districts to participate in statewide within-district open enrollment and require them to post about this option on district websites.
● Require districts to post their available capacity on their websites.

Your thoughts on these ideas?

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Today’s must-read: Tom DeVore sanctioned by federal bankruptcy judge, will also face ARDC beef

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District Of Illinois, Judge Mary P. Gorman…

Before the Court after trial is a Motion for Sanctions Under 11 U.S.C. §362(k) for Violations of the Automatic Stay, filed by the Debtor, Riley N. Craig, against Tom DeVore. For the reasons set forth herein, Mr. DeVore will be found to have willfully violated the automatic stay and will be sanctioned.

* Yadda, yadda, yadda…

Mr. DeVore does not dispute that he knew of the Debtor’s bankruptcy filing when he took the actions complained of in the Motion for Sanctions. Because he knew of the bankruptcy but proceeded with state court litigation even after being advised by the Debtor’s attorney that he was violating the stay, his conduct was willful. Mr. DeVore has never sought relief from the stay. His conduct therefore constituted willful and, as will be explained below, egregious violations of the stay and will result in the imposition of sanctions.

* Bippity, boppity, boop…

The Debtor is entitled to an award of her actual damages including her costs and fees and, under the circumstances, an award of punitive damages. The Debtor testified that she hired counsel and paid him a $3000 flat fee to defend her against the petition for order of protection filed by Mr. DeVore. Because the filing of the petition violated the stay, she is entitled to an award of $3000 in actual damages.

The Debtor is also entitled to have the fees she incurred with Attorney Pioletti related to these issues paid by Mr. DeVore. Attorney Pioletti filed an itemization of his time showing the expenditure of 4.06 hours dealing with the stay violation issues before the hearing. He said that his time on the day of the hearing consisted of a 1.5 hour drive each way between his office and the courthouse and the 3.5 hours spent at the evidentiary hearing. He said that he charged $275 per hour. Attorney Pioletti’s total claim amounts to 10.56 hours at $275 per hour. Because both his rate and the amount of time expended are reasonable, Attorney Pioletti will be awarded $2904, to be paid by Mr. DeVore.

Because this Court finds Mr. DeVore’s stay violations to be egregious and his conduct to be both disingenuous and dishonest, punitive damages will be awarded here. […]

All the factors support an award of punitive damages here. Mr. DeVore’s conduct was indefensible. […]

The Court will award to the Debtor punitive damages in the amount of $7500 to be paid by Mr. DeVore. This amount is less that the $20,000 the Debtor requested but hopefully is enough to make Mr. DeVore change his behavior. The award is just a little more than the amount awarded for actual damages. Thus, it may get Mr. DeVore’s attention and cause him to realize that he must respect the law and the orders of this Court or bear the consequences of his actions. If the sanctions imposed are not enough to get Mr. DeVore’s attention, future violations should be brought to the Court’s attention and additional sanctions may issue. […]

Mr. DeVore’s violations were willful and egregious; his conduct was highly unprofessional. The Debtor will be awarded her actual damages, her attorney fees, and punitive damages.

* Footnote…

The evidence presented at the hearing suggests that Mr. DeVore not only violated the automatic stay but that he also may have violated several Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. The Debtor’s unrebutted testimony was that she began an intimate, personal relationship with Mr. DeVore after he began representing her and while he was still representing her in legal matters. The Rules prohibit such conduct by lawyers. The evidence also established that Mr. DeVore was the lawyer who drafted the documents for the creation of Future You, a business that he owned with the Debtor. Under the Rules, strict guidelines apply when an attorney goes into business with a client. The Debtor’s unrebutted testimony that she was confused about what she was signing when Mr. DeVore told her to sign the Future You operating agreement without reading it suggests that the strict guidelines were not followed. The nature of their personal relationship, as well as Mr. DeVore’s stated opinions about the Debtor’s business acumen and her reliance on his judgment and expertise, would certainly complicate any effort to satisfy the requirements of Rule 1.8(a) and likely implicate Rule 1.7 as well. In addition, Mr. DeVore’s petition for order of protection contained frivolous and false allegations such as his assertion that the Debtor was restraining or interfering with his personal liberty; his own testimony was that he had not been in direct contact with the Debtor for more than six weeks before he filed for the order of protection and his main complaint against her was that she refused to communicate with him. The filing of frivolous pleadings is prohibited, and attorneys may not make false statements of law or fact to a tribunal. Rule 4.2 limits an attorney’s ability to communicate with a person they know is represented by counsel. Notwithstanding the fact that the Debtor was represented by counsel in her bankruptcy, Mr. DeVore repeatedly contacted her directly, suggesting several times that he was free to do so because no attorney was representing her in the Bond County lawsuit. But the Bond County lawsuit was filed in violation of the stay and sought to address matters exclusively within this Court’s jurisdiction—matters for which Attorney Pioletti was clearly representing the Debtor. Attorney Pioletti’s time records show at least one communication on June 12, 2023, asking Mr. DeVore to stop contacting the Debtor directly. Mr. DeVore apparently ignored that request. He continued to try to bootstrap an argument that, because he—in violation of the stay—filed actions in state court where Attorney Pioletti did not have an appearance on file, he could then communicate directly with the Debtor about her property, debts, and other matters involved in her bankruptcy. Such conduct is prohibited by the Rules.

The investigation and determination of whether violations of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct actually occurred here is within the jurisdiction of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and the Illinois Supreme Court; the appropriate referral for investigation will be made.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s up! Keep it Illinois-centric please…

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House passes staff unionization bill 73-35-4

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Legislative staff unionization bill faces uncertain future in Senate. Hannah Meisel…

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News: Proponents drop push to give downstate utilities dibs on new transmission lines
∙ Tribune: Downstate utility, electrical workers union put effort to control transmission line construction on hold
∙ WAND: Illinois senators approve Springfield High School expansion plan

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker, never shy about criticizing Republicans, calls for ‘common ground’ at national conference: On Wednesday, at a national political conference of progressives in Washington, the second-term governor with potential presidential aspirations presented a new political style — conciliator. “I’m just saying leadership in this time means putting in check sometimes your emotions about the attacks that are coming and instead trying to find common ground to work with one another because we have to bring the temperature down in this country and talk to one another, whatever party we belong to or whatever ideology we may have, because we have so much to accomplish,” Pritzker told an audience at the progressive Center for American Progress annual ideas conference.

* Sun-Times | Chicago-area retiree opens home to migrants — ‘new family members’ — stuck at police stations: A retiree with terminal cancer, Elaine Pierce made a cocoon in her home, surrounding herself with her daughter, books and movies. It was a solitude she needed, yet she gave it up recently for something more important — to help families in crisis, opening her Oak Park bungalow to migrant families without a home. “I only wish I could do more,” Pierce told the Sun-Times.

* Tribune | Suburban school district reconsiders postponing Hampshire’s spring musical about gay teens after student and parent outcry: The theater student was eager for the reveal of this year’s selection of “The Prom,” a comedic musical about a school that tries to cancel a dance to prevent a gay student from attending. The 18-year-old said this year’s production meant more than usual because it was a chance for theater kids, some part of the LGBTQ+ community, to feel represented in their craft. But then district administrators stepped in. They shut down the announcement, telling students in a meeting last Friday that they wouldn’t allow the music department to put on the show this year due to safety concerns, he said.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WAND | Senate approves bill providing faith based food options in public schools, correctional facilities: Senate Bill 457 could require all Illinois public schools, state correctional facilities and the University of Illinois hospital in Chicago to offer the faith based food options if requested. If signed by the governor, ISBE would be tasked with entering into statewide master contracts from vendors across the state.

* WTTW | Lawmakers Push for Compensation for Chicago’s Elected School Board: Sponsoring state Sen. Robert Martwick, a Democrat who represents parts of the city’s Northwest Side, said if Chicago wants a diverse school board, it needs to remove barriers — like a lack of pay — that would prevent some residents from running for board seats.

* SJ-R | Chicago homicide suspect in custody after Illinois State Police trooper shot overnight: The shooting was a personal matter to Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, as the trooper is engaged to one of his legislative aides. The freshman lawmaker addressed the Illinois House Wednesday, arguing that law enforcement needs support.

* Block Club | Englewood Activist Jumps Into Illinois House Race To Represent South Side District: This will be Williams’ first time running for statewide public office. He was elected to the Englewood (7th) District Police Department council earlier this year.

* WMCL | Legislators share concerns bout bill impacting workers with disabilities: Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) believes that the state should empower people with disabilities to maximize their employment and self-sufficiency. Mah believes it is wrong that some disabled workers are being paid much less than the state’s minimum wage and it is past time to eliminate the sub-minimum wage. However, other lawmakers, such as State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) and State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) believe a lot of these workers will be without jobs if the bill passes.

* Center Square | Who covers EV charger costs for homes main focus of Illinois mandate: On Wednesday, legislators discussed a trailer bill in Senate Bill 384, which changes the language of the original measure by changing multi-unit residential buildings to multi-family residential buildings with parking spaces constructed after the act’s effective date. Feigenholtz defended the measure during Senate debates, saying this would not increase costs for property owners.

* Commercial-News | IGB to act on permanent casino license: Five months after Golden Nugget Danville Casino received a temporary operating permit to open, Danville Development LLC will be going before the Illinois Gaming Board on Thursday for the casino’s permanent license.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools officials project $391 million deficit next year when COVID-19 relief funds run out: District leaders and Board of Education officials have warned of a financial cliff approaching next school year. Federal COVID-19 relief funds had papered over a structural deficit that officials estimate will reach $691 million. Only $300 million in federal funding is left to offset that,

* Tribune | Euthanizations up 25% in Chicago animal shelter; city director points to post-pandemic return to work, inflation: “The shelter is really, really sad right now,” one CACC volunteer said during public comment at the hearing. “Those are living animals. They needed a chance. They deserve a chance. And we really need leadership that is really passionate about the animals.”

* Post-Tribune | Renovated $38.4M welcome center on I-65 gives visitors a view of the region, from monarch butterflies to steel industry: Officials including Gov. Eric Holcomb gathered Tuesday at the site on southbound Interstate 65 just before the Indiana 10 interchange in Demotte to dedicate the newly renovated $38.4 million welcome center. All except for about $4 million of the project was federally funded, Holcomb said.

* VCF | Resolution Passed by Illinois House Honoring Memory of State Rep Bill Black: The Illinois House of Representatives Wednesday adopted House Resolution 409 which mourns the passing of former Illinois State Representative and Assistant Minority Leader Bill Black of Danville. State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) sponsored the resolution and spoke about his mentor on the House floor before its adoption.

* Sun-Times | Highland Park massacre suspect keeps phone privileges despite rant that FBI staged attack: The Highland Park massacre suspect sent a video message from Lake County Jail claiming the attack was staged by federal agents, raising questions about his access to communications as he awaits trial on charges of killing seven people and wounding dozens more. The woman who recorded the Sept. 21 call was found to have violated jail rules and was banned from making further video calls with inmates. But Robert E. Crimo III hasn’t been disciplined and is allowed to make calls from a tablet in his cell, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.

* AP | At least 16 dead in Maine mass killing and police hunt for the shooter as residents take shelter: A man shot and killed at least 16 people at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday and then fled into the night, sparking a massive search by hundreds of officers while frightened residents stayed locked in their homes.

* NYT | U.A.W. and Ford Reach Tentative Contract Agreement: The union said the deal included a roughly 25 percent pay increase over four years, cost-of-living wage adjustments, major gains on pensions and job security, and the right to strike over plant closures. It called on striking Ford workers to go back to work while the tentative agreement awaits ratification.

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Live coverage

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Cristobal Santana, a suspect wanted in connection with the murder of Adrianna Lopez, was taken into custody today after allegedly shooting an Illinois State Police trooper in Springfield, IL. According to media reports, Ms. Lopez had an order of protection against Mr. Santana, her ex-boyfriend, after a recent altercation.

Amanda Pyron, Executive Director of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, released the following statement:

“We grieve for the family and friends of Adrianna Lopez as yet again, the combination of domestic violence and firearms has resulted in a tragic, deadly outcome. Last year, Chicago saw 36 firearm-involved domestic violence homicides and 79 non-fatal domestic violence shootings. When domestic violence survivors go to the courts for an order of protection, we must ensure that protection works — especially when a firearm is involved. For Adrianna Lopez, we failed.

“While we are still learning of the specifics of this case, we again urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation like ‘Karina’s Bill’ to help clarify and strengthen the law around firearms and orders of protection. The heart-wrenching murder of Adrianna Lopez is yet another devastating reminder of our collective failure to protect domestic violence survivors from firearms. We must act now.”

Related…

Recognizing the Illinois State Police trooper shot last night in Springfield by a murder suspect from Chicago, Rep. Fritts says the trooper is engaged to his legislative staffer. Called for leaders to pronounce support for police. Moment of silence recognized. pic.twitter.com/W8xmHvvwxS

— Bishop On Air (@BishopOnAir) October 25, 2023

More here.

* Press release…

Three months after Governor JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would provide halal and kosher food options to students upon request in Illinois public schools in addition to those options being available at state facilities and the University of Illinois Hospital, State Senator Ram Villivalam passed a measure that was agreed upon by stakeholders and the governor.

“I am proud of our collaborative work to make the technical changes requested by the governor to ensure the successful implementation of this legislation,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “We are recognizing the cultural needs of our community and this is a big step for families who eat kosher or halal. Everyone deserves to have an option that fits their needs and feel included.”

Villivalam worked alongside the governor to pass an agreed-upon bill that will provide culturally appropriate lunches to those who request.

“This bill will allow students to have halal and kosher lunch options regardless of where they reside in the state of Illinois,” said State Representative Kevin Olickal (D-Skokie). “This is yet another example of Illinois’ commitment to being a welcoming and accepting state.”

Specifically in public schools, the legislation would require the Illinois State Board of Education to enter into statewide master contracts from vendors across the state and give school districts access to the contract so they can more efficiently provide meals to students. […]

The prepackaged meals for schools would be required to meet both state and federal nutritional guidelines for school lunch programs. […]

The bill would only require a school district to provide the meals as long as ISBE is able to enter into any master contracts they may have. […]

Senate Bill 457 passed the Senate Wednesday and heads to the House for further consideration.

* ILGOP…

The Illinois Republican Party is thrilled to announce that Senator John Kennedy will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural “Bank Your Vote” Gala. The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, February 9, 2024, at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont.

The “Bank Your Vote” Gala is the first of a new annual tradition promoting the importance of utilizing early voting, vote by mail, and other pre-election day methods to energize the Republican base entering this election year.

Senator John Kennedy has been a strong advocate for conservative principles in the U.S. Senate, most recently putting Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias on the defensive regarding pornography in books available in public school libraries accessible to children.

The Bank Your Vote initiative is a national effort aimed at supporting early voting and Get Out The Vote programs. It’s a unified effort led by the Republican National Committee displaying the commitment of Republicans to facilitating early voting.

In her address to the nation, Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel emphasizes the significance of early voting and its crucial role in our democratic process. Watch the RNC video here.

Stay tuned for more details as the February 9th Bank Your Vote Gala approaches.

* Isabel’s roundup…

WBEZ | Illinois is looking to overhaul how kids learn to read:

* Chalkbeat | Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces new agency to oversee early childhood: An advisory committee will provide input and gather feedback. It will be led by Bela Moté, the chief executive officer of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, the governor’s office said. Creating a separate agency focused on early childhood is another step in Pritzker’s work to make Illinois “number one” for child care access. In last year’s budget, the governor announced a $250 million four-year effort to expand preschool and child care.

* SJ-R | Illinois joins states filing suit against Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta: In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the states say the company has profited from how it has designed Instagram and Facebook to maximize time spent on the platforms by teens and children, which led to increased advertising revenue. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said practices enacted by Meta have had major consequences on the mental health of young people, citing increases in depression, anxiety and body image dysmorphia.

* Tribune | Suspect in a Chicago homicide arrested after an Illinois State Police officer is shot in Springfield: A state trooper was shot in the leg while interacting with Cristobal Santana, 37, state police said, describing Santana as a suspect in a Chicago killing without detailing the crime in question. Santana was being held in the shooting of the trooper at midday Wednesday, authorities said.

* Daily Herald | Why land at center of fight in South Barrington could be headed to auction again: A Schaumburg-based nonprofit group called Fourth Avenue Gospel Building Inc. was the lone bidder for the property at a May auction, offering to pay about $1.7 million. […] Dozens of residents protested against the sale once the potential buyer was identified this summer, and eventually the deal was canceled.

* WCIA | Champaign schools seek second chance at ARPA funds, unveil new plan to curb gun violence: Earlier this month, some parents and students were upset when they found out they hadn’t yet used the money they got last year. The Champaign Unit 4 School District got $526,620 last year to help fix the root causes of gun violence in the city, but things didn’t go according to plan. The money was left sitting after the district’s plan fell through, which included hiring more staff to focus on the issue. Officials said they didn’t get enough suitable applicants.

* Elgin Courier-News | West Dundee to buy what remains of the Spring Hill Mall, including movie theater, for $7 million: The property will likely be marketed for a mix of commercial and residential uses, but the board wants to see “where the development community wants to go,” Nelson said. “There are certain things we will not entertain, like warehouses and intense uses that attract a lot of truck traffic. … There will still be some retail there.”

* PJ Star | Peoria won’t move forward with a water buyout. Here’s what led to the decision: Peoria will not be purchasing the city’s water infrastructure from Illinois American Water — at least for the next five years. The Peoria City Council voted 7-4 on Tuesday night not to move forward with buying the water utility from Illinois American, a decision the council must make every five years

* Block Club | Person Charged In Lincoln Square Halloween Decoration Fires: Someone has set at least 10 fires this month in the Lincoln Square and Roscoe Village neighborhoods, apparently targeting Halloween and autumn displays on sidewalks and residential porches as well as street-corner garbage cans, police said. […] It is not clear if Munoz will be charged in the other fires. Munoz is due in court Wednesday and more charges could be forthcoming, Ald. Matt Martin (47th) said in an email to constituents Wednesday.

* WBEZ | Is CTA getting better? We asked hundreds of riders.: Out of more than 460 riders who responded to a WBEZ survey in September and October, the majority said their opinion of CTA has either stayed the same (49.1%) or diminished (25.9%) in the last year. Only 20% of respondents say their opinion has improved. (The riders surveyed were among a larger pool of 2,000 who took an unofficial WBEZ survey about a year ago; we wanted to go back to the same riders and find out if things had improved.)

* AP | House chooses speaker — Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana has Trump’s backing: Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority. Johnson of Louisiana swept on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing.

* Crain’s | American Airlines will dial up O’Hare service next year: American, the second-largest carrier at O’Hare, says it’s scheduled to fly 10% more seats in April 2024 than it did during the same month this year. With the launch of daily service from Chicago to Venice next summer, American says that it will have the same number of international destinations as it did before the COVID pandemic.

* AP | UAW appears to be moving toward a potential deal with Ford that could end strike: The United Auto Workers union appears to be edging closer to a tentative contract agreement with Ford that would be critical to ending the union’s 6-week-old strikes against the three major Detroit automakers, two people with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday. The people said the union made a counter-offer to Ford that proposes a 25% general wage increase over the life of a new four-year contract and said that negotiations on Tuesday extended well into Wednesday morning. Previously Ford, Stellantis and General Motors had all offered 23% pay increases.

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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The bill now heads to the Senate…

Here’s How To Make The Tax Credit Scholarship Better

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

We’ve been listening carefully to the governor, legislative leaders, and many members of the legislature about how to make the Tax Credit Scholarship better – and we now have an amended program proposal that does exactly that. Thousands of vulnerable kids are counting on us to put them before politics.

In response to direct feedback, our bill offers substantive improvements along with good-faith compromises which justify extending the Tax Credit Scholarship Program:

2. Reduce the overall size of the program to $50MM (down from $75MM) and reduce the individual giving cap to $500,000 (down from $1MM).

3. Reduce the tax credit for donors to 55% (down from 75%).

4. Encourage more middle-income donors by crediting donations of up to $5,000 with a 100% tax credit.

Illinois, let’s do the right thing. It’s about the kids, not the politics. Save the scholarships.

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It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. CD Davidsmeyer…

With the surge in migrants coming to Illinois, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) has filed legislation to repeal the TRUST Act, ending Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants. The Illinois TRUST Act, enacted in 2017, made Illinois a sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants. The TRUST Act prohibits local law enforcement in Illinois from participating in immigration enforcement.

From the Illinois Attorney General’s website…

No federal law compels law enforcement in Illinois to assist with or participate in any immigration enforcement action. At the state level, Illinois law generally prohibits participation in immigration enforcement by state and local law enforcement. For example, a local law enforcement agency in Illinois cannot: give an immigration agent access to individuals in its custody; detain individuals pursuant to a federal administrative warrant; detain individuals pursuant to an immigration detainer request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); or share information about individuals in its custody with federal immigration authorities. Importantly, local law enforcement officers cannot arrest an individual for violation of a federal law without a warrant unless state law has granted them authority to do so, and Illinois law prohibits local law enforcement from stopping, arresting, searching, or detaining an individual based on his or her citizenship or immigration status. […]

The federal government cannot require local law enforcement to enforce federal law.

Also, asylum seekers are here legally, as Governor Pritzker pointed out again earlier this month.

And Heather Cherone from WTTW wrote an explainer about why Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city has nothing to do with the arrival of asylum seekers….

Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city does not require it to encourage immigrants to move to Chicago nor does the Welcoming City ordinance obligate officials to use taxpayer funds to care for immigrants in Chicago.

In addition, the 18,500 migrants sent to Chicago so far are in the country legally after requesting asylum after fleeing persecution and economic collapse. The ordinance focuses on protections for undocumented immigrants, so it does not apply to any of the migrants.

* HB4194 is sponsored by Reps. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, Lisa Hernandez, Kelly Burke and Marty Moylan…

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides that a taxpayer may take a credit under the Act for tax years ending before January 1, 2029 (currently January 1, 2024). Provides that, beginning in calendar year 2024, the aggregate amount of credits the Department of Revenue may award under the Act in any calendar year may not exceed $50,000,000 (currently, $75,000,000). Provides that contributions under the Act may be directed to students whose permanent address is located in an underserved area but may not be directed to a particular student. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the amount of the credit under the Act shall be 100% of the first $5,000 in contributions made by the taxpayer during the taxable year, plus (i) 55% of the portion of the qualified contributions made by the taxpayer that exceeds the first $5,000 and is not directed to students whose permanent address is located in an underserved area and (ii) 65% of the of the portion of the qualified contributions made by the taxpayer that exceeds the first $5,000 and is directed to students whose permanent address is located in an underserved area. Effective immediately.

* AP…

In Springfield, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Hillside Democrat, won Executive Committee approval for a proposal allowing legislative staff, from partisan analysts to custodians, to join a collective bargaining unit. It would exclude managers and other confidential employees engaged in shaping policy.

“Something I remain firm on is that this legislation must give employees equal opportunity to join a union and make their voices heard,” Welch said.

Legislative staff jobs are taxing, with long hours. They also provide valuable experience and lead to future careers as lobbyists, liaisons with state agencies and even legislators, said Kelly Kupris, a House education analyst representing the Illinois Legislative Staff Association. But Kupris told the committee there is too much turnover and that a survey of staffers found that more than three-quarters struggle to pay bills and more than one-third have taken a second job.

Minimum starting salary for a legislative coordinator, which requires helping members develop their agendas, draft bills and follow them through the process, among other things, is $43,000, along with health and life insurance and a state pension.

Speaker Welch’s amendment was sent to the floor today.

* Rep. Suzanne Ness filed HB4190 yesterday…

Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Changes the effective date of the Act from January 1, 2024 to July 1, 2024. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Marty Molyan filed HB4196…

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a Fleet Electrification Incentive Program to provide fleet owners and operators in the State grants to promote the use of eligible electric vehicles. Provides that the Program shall offer qualifying purchasers a grant up to specified base amounts toward the purchase of eligible electric vehicles based on the Class of vehicle. Requires the Agency to award grants under the Program on a competitive basis according to the availability of funding. Provides that to be eligible to receive a grant under the Program a purchaser must satisfy all of the required criteria. Provides that the Agency shall give weight to an application based upon the potential impact of the geographic location and route of the purchaser’s fleet on pollution affecting an equity investment eligible community. Requires the Agency to ensure that resale of a vehicle serving a public school or located within an equity investment eligible community shall result in the vehicle servicing a similarly situated community. Provides that grants under the Program may be combined with other public incentives but the total of governmental incentives shall not exceed a maximum of 80% of the purchase price of the vehicle. Requires the Agency to set aside 20% of the appropriated funds under the Program for grants to the purchaser of electric school buses. Provides that all awards granted are subject to appropriation by the General Assembly.

* HB4186 filed by Rep. Amy Elik…

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. In the provisions concerning required high school courses, allows a pupil to take one year of a foreign language course (rather than 2 years), if, upon completing one year of foreign language coursework, the pupil, the pupil’s parent or guardian, and the school counselor meet to discuss the pupil’s postsecondary education or career goals, and, at that meeting, it is determined (i) that the pupil will take one year of career and technical education coursework, (ii) that a second year of foreign language coursework will limit the pupil’s access to career and technical education coursework, and (iii) that the pupil does not need a second year of foreign language coursework to meet the pupil’s postsecondary education and career goals. Provides that, following this meeting, the pupil’s parent or guardian may opt the pupil out of a second year of foreign language coursework in a form and manner that is prescribed by the State Board of Education. Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in this State. Provides that a university may not require a public high school student to have completed 2 years of foreign language coursework while in high school if it was determined in high school that the student was not required to and the student’s parent or guardian opted the student out. Provides that if the student completed only one year of foreign language coursework in high school, the university may require the student to take no less than one year of foreign language coursework while enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the university. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Joe Sosnowski filed HB4191…

Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Provides that the definition of “employer” does not include forest preserve districts organized under the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act or the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act.

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Will the Democrats avoid the trap?

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As I told you the other day, the Democratic legislative leaders had not yet spoken with their respective caucuses about how best to address the terrorist attack on Israel and resulting war. Those conversations have now happened.

What I’m hearing today is that some Senators in both parties will rise to talk about the war’s impact on the people of their districts. Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) told me she plans to speak, for instance. At least one House Democrat will likely do the same (regarding the murder of Wadea Al-Fayoume). We’ll see what happens.

* Some Republicans spoke yesterday…

On the House floor, Minority Leader Tony McCombie made a statement on point of personal privilege condemning the attacks. Republican state Rep. Brad Halbrook discussed his bill, HR 449, in support of Israel, also on point of personal privilege.

And in a follow-up statement: Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin called it “completely shocking” that Democrats wouldn’t speak up on the issue.

Rep. McLaughlin is running against Democrat Maria Peterson, who is allied with Rep. Nabeela Syed, the first Muslim woman elected to the General Assembly. He’s made a campaign issue out of Rep. Syed signing the progressive legislators’ letter after the attack, hence his statement yesterday.

* The Democratic super-majority in the General Assembly has mostly avoided the trap that at least some Republicans appear eager to set by engaging in the same sort of divisive, over-the-top vitriol that has afflicted the Chicago city council, first on asylum-seekers and then on this topic. Yes, there was some back and forth online at first, but that seems to have faded away with time.

Not to say that there aren’t deep emotions on this. There most certainly are. But a choice has apparently been made by members to not let their emotions completely disrupt their ability to conduct actual state legislating going forward.

House debate is here. Senate debate is here. We’ll see what happens. The House has canceled Thursday’s session, by the way.

*** UPDATE *** The Senate’s process is beginning. Click here. Four members will be recognized to share points of information about “events and occurrences happening in their districts to reflect what’s going on in our larger world,” according to Senate President Harmon.

…Adding… Sen. Laura Fine is talking about how two Hamas kidnap victims live in her district. The two women have been released…

I have a responsibility to those constituents as well as the hundreds of others who have family in Israel to stand up today and speak. And so I stand before you today to say on behalf of my Jewish constituents and myself, never again. Never again will we allow this kind of hatred and anti-semitism that led to the murder of 6 million people in places like Auschwitz and Dachau. Our world has been shaken and forever changed, but we are resilient and we will go on. […]

As Illinois legislators we must recognize that this conflict has torn a rift between individuals and communities here at home and commit ourselves to fighting racism, Islamophobia, and anti-semitism here in our own state. I’ve spoken to parents of children who are afraid to go to school. There are Holocaust survivors who no longer feel safe out in the community. This state of fear and violence is not an inevitable outcome, and we must not accept it in Illinois. […]

I urge all of us to go forward as leaders in our community with love and hope in our hearts, and a lasting secure peace as our goal.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

…Adding… Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…

When we called our cousins in the Old City, our hearts were shattered. One cousin had gone to the Nova music festival and was unaccounted for. We didn’t know how he was but we prayed for his safe return. And we prayed day and night. Then on Monday, we got the call that every loved one dreads. This beautiful 23 year old innocent soul, who was just starting his life was brutally murdered, along with 260 other festival goers. I was shattered. My whole family was shattered at the news. […]

[Reading from a letter sent by a constituent] Last week, our family attended a peaceful Israel solidarity rally and prayer in Skokie, in a sweet little banquet hall in Skokie that’s often used for Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. And during this gathering, protesters who learned about the [event] on social media made sure that they shuttled from downtown to bring their violence and hatred of Jews to our neighborhood. And to be honest, I must tell you that I feel that this hatred is a different hatred. It’s a deeper and more violent, hatred, than I’ve ever felt in all of the chapters of my family’s history. No longer can I say that we are part of a big human family. We can no longer kid ourselves. There are monsters among us. This attack was an attack on all of us. It is here in America. […]

The hostility to Israel is palpable. First it was religion. Then it was race. And now that those prejudices are not popular, It’s about the land. The reasons seem to change over time, the hate stays the same. The common theme is Jews, that we are Jews. […]

Jewish constituents in their neighborhoods and across Illinois are scared. They need to know you and other leaders are working to make us safe. There must be consequences. against those who preach and encourage violence.

…Adding… Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel…

I’d like to take a moment to recognize Wadea Al-Fayoume, the little six year old Palestinian American boy who was tragically killed in Plainfield during a senseless hate crime. I’m heartbroken by the loss of this young, innocent life. No person should ever have to bury their child. My heart breaks for this family and for his family and for the many people who fear for their life and safety solely because of their beliefs or the way they look. We have to respect and honor every faith race and religion. Let us never forget that hate has no home, in our community, in our state, or across our nation. We must stand together against any form of hate. So I ask for a moment of silence for Wadea Al-Fayoume.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another update to today’s edition

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

*** UPDATED x2 *** Proponents abandon override attempt of ‘Right of First Refusal’ bill

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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Some background from the Tribune editorial board…

In Ameren’s downstate Illinois territory, more than $3.6 billion worth of new transmission lines is planned, Pritzker said in his veto message. The bill he vetoed would give Ameren “right of first refusal” over building and operating those, effectively elbowing out competitive bids that could lower costs for ratepayers.

A major national priority of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the measure is designed to ensure members of IBEW locals get all the work tied to the projects. It was an eleventh-hour push by Washington, D.C.-based IBEW President Kenneth Cooper, who called Illinois legislative leaders personally in the final days of the spring session, that got Springfield’s attention. Opponents were blindsided.

The bill passed the Senate with a comfortable veto-proof majority. The House sent it to the governor, but a large number of members choosing not to vote kept the margin short of the veto-proof threshold. […]

Of course, as is often the case in the utility business — dependent as it is on public officials, who must approve its rates — there’s no shortage of hypocrisy here. Ameren, whose parent company is based in St. Louis and operates throughout the Midwest, lobbied against a similar proposal seven years ago in Kansas when the incumbent utilities there wanted the monopoly and Ameren was interested in bidding on work. That was then, this is now, Ameren says.

The Trib’s editorial board has upped its game and it showed with that editorial.

* The bill only received 63 House votes, not nearly enough to override the governor. Today, the proponents acknowledged the obvious and threw in the towel. House sponsor Rep. Larry Walsh, Jr…

Rright of first refusal is basically allowing the state of Illinois to give the incumbent utility first crack at building the transmission lines that we’ve had in the state for over the last 100 years to maintain their systems. And we’re gonna have more talk about what this policy does. But in my viewpoint, the simple fact of the matter is transmission lines and the electric grid is a regulated monopoly. Has been and always will. If we allow private entities to come in to build these transmission lines, you’ll have a patchwork of these systems throughout the state. And it’d be just like the tollway, six different companies own different sets of mileage. It’s not integrated into the way we should be doing things. I think it’s bad policy.

And our purpose here today is first and foremost to announce that we’re not going to try to override the veto the amendatory veto on House Bill 3445. We’re going to go and educate members, legislators. There was an argument that this thing was done in the dark, which it wasn’t. But the process is the process. We’re going to open that door. We’re going to put subject matters out in the spring. We’re going to work with legislators, the governor’s office, the rate-payers, the community on what right of first refusal,actually is. And when they hear that they’re going, I believe, agree with us. This is the right step for Illinois.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Toward the end of the press conference, Rep. Walsh, who chairs the House Public Utilities Committee, said this…

We’re looking at doing a full education swing in the spring, introduce a bill that puts the state of Illinois as a right of first refusal state for the whole state with no sunset.

“The whole state” would include ComEd’s turf. One of the ways that legislators have defended their votes is to differentiate Ameren, which has no history of federal corruption probes here, from ComEd, which most certainly does have a history of federal corruption probes here. If you thought this has been a heavy lift for Ameren, adding in ComEd is gonna be 10 times as difficult.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Ann Williams chairs the House Energy & Environment Committee…

I agree that we must use skilled Illinois union labor for these energy-related infrastructure projects. I look forward to more conversations this spring with organized labor, Ameren and environmental advocates to consider transmission issues as part of a broader conversation about creating the infrastructure to ensure a clean energy future, build capacity, put consumers first, and address the climate crisis.

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After legislative turmoil, DCFS will no longer license child care centers

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Action for Children press release…

[Yesterday], at the Carole Robertson Center for Early Learning, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the launch of a new, unified early childhood state agency-eliminating the need for multiple state agencies to administer the early childhood education and care system (ECEC) in Illinois. […]

The major programs that will be housed under the new agency will include the Early Childhood Block Grant at the Illinois State Board of Education, which funds the Preschool for All and the Prevention Initiative programs, the Child Care Assistance Program, Home Visiting, and Early Intervention programs at the Department of Human Services, and licensing for child care programs, which is currently administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.

Emphasis added because we talked about that topic last week. Some members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules were furious at the way DCFS was handling child care licensing and said they wanted to move that function to another agency.

Well, they’re getting their wish.

* Meanwhile, it turns out that one of the child care associations which has been complaining to JCAR members and other legislators about the problems with DCFS licensing rules was totally shut out of the process to create this new unified early childhood agency. And it claims others were as well. Excerpt from a press release by the Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers (ILDOCC)…

We agree wholeheartedly that new leadership and a fresh approach is critical to rebuilding and strengthening childcare access in Illinois. And creating a single agency focused exclusively on this issue is a positive step forward.

However, even with today’s announcement, it is important to note that the biggest trade organizations that represent providers of child care in every corner of the state were not involved, consulted or informed prior to this morning’s event. This is an example of what providers have faced far too often — where policy decisions are made without the input of the front line experts that provide these services which are relied upon by working families in Illinois. […]

As an organization that represents nearly 1,000 separate childcare facilities in Illinois, we look forward to the promise of our inclusion in this process. More importantly, we look forward to working with our legislative champions to ensure this process improves the industry, addresses the long-standing staffing crisis crippling the industry, and increases access to affordable childcare in every corner of the state.

In other words, if the administration keeps freezing them out, they’ll work with sympathetic legislators to make sure their voices are heard.

…Adding… I just received a call from the governor’s office. They point out that ILDOCC’s only major issue is allowing unqualified people to staff daycare centers and the administration refuses to allow this to ever happen. They also rightly note that this consolidation has been in the works for some time now.

…Adding… ILDOCC…

Yesterday, ILDOCC was happy to praise and state our gratitude to Governor Pritzker for his announcement on creating a new state agency for early childhood education. The change in licensing from the Department of Children and Family Services is something for which this organization has advocated for years.

We also shared our desire to work with the Governor’s office and other stakeholders as this moves forward. As an organization that represents nearly 1,000 licensed childcare centers in the state of Illinois, it is our hope that providers who are doing the work of caring for children will get to have a voice in these decisions being made, and we look forward to the opportunity to work together on this issue.

We are, however, disappointed with the statement from the Governor’s office this morning in response to our statement yesterday. While it is true that ILDOCC believes strongly that on the job experience should be given greater consideration in licensing standards, this is neither the only issue on which we advocate, nor does our organization support policies that are against the best interests of the children and families we serve.

It remains our hope that the Governor’s commitment yesterday to work with all stakeholders was an honest step toward a better system in Illinois where all voices are heard, and that this morning’s statement from his office was an unfortunate mistake.

We continue to look forward to working with the administration on an inclusive, transparent process toward passing legislation that genuinely improves the system in Illinois, and finally addresses the long-standing staffing crisis that has plagued this industry.

19 Comments

No drastic overall changes yet reported

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Jeff Kolkey at the Rockford Register Star…

Average daily jail populations in Winnebago County fell from 802 in August to 765 in September to 742 so far in October. The jail has a capacity for 1,300 inmates and the numbers include more than 100 defendants being held on federal charges.

That is the lowest the average daily jail population has been in Winnebago County since it averaged 735 inmates in August 2021, when the numbers were still being impacted by the global pandemic, Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said.

Caruana said that it will likely take months to see how the pretrial fairness act will impact the jail.

So far, there have been few hearings in Winnebago County seeking the release of inmates held on bond from before the new law took effect, Caruana said. Numbers of the detained could swing back and forth when more are released under the new rules and then perhaps returned to jail for re-offending or missing court dates.

Other, smaller county jails in the region have seen larger percentage declines, but they had fewer inmates to start with.

* Meanwhile, some SAFE-T Act advocates were worried that they would see a big increase in the number of people confined by electronic monitoring. But here are Cook County’s numbers from the Chicago Reader…

The jail’s population has fallen about 10.7 percent since the law took effect.

There are, of course, individual cases that some are gnashing their teeth about, but some of those same accused criminals could’ve been on the street after paying cash bail under the old system, as we discussed just the other day.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated)

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Republicans, Democrats, And Independents Agree – NO ROFR In House Bill 3445

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Veto session started off with Speaker Welch’s bill, that would allow the formation of a legislative staff union. State Journal-Register…

* Related stories…

∙ Pantagraph: Illinois fall session kicks off with legislative staff union proposal
∙ WAND: Welch champions legislative staff union plan, Republicans share veto session priorities
∙ AP: Pritzker wants to consolidate early education, speaker’s bill allows staff to unionize
∙ Farm Week: Midwife certification legislation in Illinois stalled

* Isabel’s top picks…

* 21st show | Pritzker’s National Ambitions: In 2022, Governor. JB Pritzker (D-Illinois) won reelection to lead The 21st state. But the billionaire governor continues to be the subject of national coverage. Pritzker’s name is often floated as a presidential candidate if President Joe Biden drops out of the the 2024 presidential race (Biden says he is running). In a 2022 interview, Pritzker told The 21st he is only focused on the state of Illinois. And recently, the governor launched a self-funded nationwide abortion rights advocacy organization. We’re talking to the writer of an in-depth profile story in The New Yorker on Gov. Pritzker.

* Tribune | Democratic legislators introduce bill to extend controversial private school tax credit program: In addition to extending the program through 2028, the proposal introduced Tuesday would reduce maximum annual contributions awarded by the state to $50 million from $75 million. Instead of the 75% tax credit, the donors would get a 100% credit for the first $5,000 they contribute, then a maximum 65% tax credit for any additional amount if the children they sponsor live in underserved communities and a 55% credit if the children don’t.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s top cop vows ‘stringent’ efforts to root out officers with extremist ties after investigation by WBEZ, Sun-Times: “It serves the Chicago Police Department in no way, in no way good, to have members amongst our department who are filled with bias or members of hate groups,” Snelling said. “And we will not tolerate it.” His comments came days after WBEZ, the Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Project began publishing a joint investigation, “Extremism in the Ranks,” which found 27 current and former Chicago police officers whose names appeared in leaked membership records for the Oath Keepers.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Crain’s | J.B. Pritzker, Gavin Newsom juice Joe Biden’s campaign fundraising efforts: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has organized events with deep-pocketed donors, bringing in more than $1 million for Biden’s campaign, according to a person familiar with the fundraising. California’s Gavin Newsom is tapping grassroots contributors to ask them to pitch in small-dollar amounts, said the person, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposes new agency for early childhood services: The creation of a new agency, which would require legislative approval, is intended to cut red tape for both families who need services for their children and the outside agencies who provide them, said Pritzker, who has long touted his desire to make Illinois “the best place to raise a family.” Despite increases in funding for preschool programs and other early childhood initiatives, “it’s clear that we’re not yet organized at the state level to reach that goal,” Pritzker said during a new conference at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning in the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.

* Rockford Register Star | Illinois jail numbers were supposed to drop with the end of cash bail. Did they?: Advocates for ending cash bail in Illinois are praising a 7.5% drop in the average number of people being held in the Winnebago County Jail since August as a positive early sign.

* Chalkbeat | Illinois lawmakers propose allowing Chicago’s school board members to be paid: State Sen. Robert Martwick and State Rep. Kam Buckner, who both represent parts of Chicago, announced at a press conference Tuesday morning a proposal to lift a prohibition in state law that prevents Chicago’s elected school board members from receiving compensation. The bills in the Senate and House, introduced during the fall’s veto session, would not mandate the school district to provide a salary or set minimums for how much school board members get paid.

* Tribune | Protesters scuffle with police ahead of emotional community meeting over tent city for migrants in Brighton Park: For the past week, protesters said they have been gathering daily, 24 hours a day, with signs in hand demanding the city halt the plan to turn the site into a tent city that would house about 2,000 migrants. City workers have been assessing the viability of the site, which has been unused since 2020 and records indicate is owned by Sanchez Paving Co., a private entity.

* Tribune | Residents’ uprising leads to rejection of multimillion dollar grant for migrant services in Joliet area: A copy of the grant application the Tribune acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request showed that the township had requested $12 million from the state, including $9 million for housing and shelter costs, three welcome centers and a medical clinic, and to hire 17 medical and social workers, four caseworkers and three paralegals. The reaction in Joliet reflects the opposition that Chicago and suburban officials have faced when trying to accommodate some 19,000 migrants who’ve been sent on buses to Chicago from the Mexican border.

* Chicago Reader | The end of money bond hasn’t led to an electronic monitoring spike in Chicago—for now: Since Illinois eliminated money bond, the number of people on electronic monitoring in Cook County dipped slightly from 1,846 the day before the law took effect to 1,831 on October 20. But it is too early to tell how long the success will last, says James Kilgore, advocacy and outreach director for the First Followers reentry program.

* Sun-Times | CPD plans to buy two helicopters by end of 2024, but Chicago still lags behind other big cities: Earlier this year, the department selected fully equipped Bell 407 helicopters for a total of $11.9 million, which includes training for one pilot per helicopter, department officials told the Chicago Sun-Times last month in a written statement.

* Tribune | Man arrested after altercation with Chicago alderman: Charges were still pending as of Tuesday afternoon. But the 47-year-old’s wife identified him as the man who had been arrested, and said the 7th Ward alderman reached for her husband first because he was filming Mitchell for a TikTok video and Mitchell wanted him to stop.

* USA Today | There aren’t enough RSV shots for babies. Here’s the new CDC guidance on who can get them.: The tightened recommendations came as the CDC reported a spike in RSV cases nationwide. The cases are primarily concentrated in the southeastern U.S. where the agency issued a heath advisory last month. In the U.S., about 58,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized for RSV each year, and several hundred die annually of the disease.

* AP | Recovering from attack that killed Illinois boy, Palestinian American mother urges prayers for peace: Hanaan Shahin issued a statement Tuesday through the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after meeting with the group’s executive director a day earlier. The written statement marked her first public comments since the brutal Oct. 14 attack that left her with more than a dozen stab wounds and stitches on her face.

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

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Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

A statewide survey in Illinois shows that voters are overwhelmingly against the higher electricity costs that would result from “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation.

Opposed to ROFR:

Voters know that ROFR leads to higher electricity costs. As one woman told her representative on Facebook: “Kindly vote no for higher prices on electricity. We already are paying high prices on everything else!”

ROFR is widely referred to as “crony capitalism” that kills competition, leading to rate hikes for consumers. ROFR has been found to be unconstitutional in some states – one reason why Illinois voters also believe passage would lead to wasteful spending on lawyers and lawsuits.

The Illinois Commerce Commission explains the benefits of competition: “…competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.”

Transmission construction projects cost billions of dollars, and competition can deliver savings of 20-30%. Illinois ratepayers deserve affordable and reliable electricity. A vote for ROFR is a vote for higher electricity prices for consumers and a weaker grid.

Vote NO on ROFR!

See the survey results: https://www.fairenergyprices.org/il-rofr-survey

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Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* All that turmoil for this? Sun-Times…

Eleven acres of Southwest Side land being set up for a migrant tent camp has a long history of industrial use, raising questions about the polluted soil and the health impact for the hundreds of people who would live there.

City officials are performing environmental testing of the land at 38th and California in Brighton Park as they prepare for a possible temporary home for at least 2,000 migrants. The site for the camp, which is surrounded by a residential area, is zoned for heavy manufacturing use.

Despite residents’ protests about the proposed housing, the city says the area appears to be “viable” for the camp. That determination was made before environmental testing.

The site, once owned by a railroad, previously included a zinc smelter, a potentially toxic operation that uses heat and chemicals to extract metals, according to a historic map provided by a community-based environmental organization.

Oy.

* “That kind of crowd”? WTTW…

It will be much more difficult for migrants sent to Chicago from the southern border to get a municipal identification card before the end of the year after City Clerk Anna Valencia canceled the remaining events designed to bring City Hall into the city’s neighborhoods.

More than 1,000 people – mostly migrants – lined up hours before the city clerk’s event on Oct. 12 at Gill Park in Wrigleyville was scheduled to start, overwhelming the 15-person staff, Valencia told WTTW News.

“It was too much to manage,” Valencia said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen when you have that kind of crowd. It didn’t seem like it would be a safe event.” […]

Valencia said she did not ask the mayor’s office or other city departments to provide additional staff or resources to allow the scheduled Mobile City Hall events to take place, or to add additional events to meet the demand for the city ID cards from the migrants.

* Maybe Chicago could forgive the water bill for this church…

A west suburban church is calling on others to help after spending thousands of dollars in recent weeks to help migrants.

The Parish of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles in Oak Park said they’ve opened up their doors for migrants to shower, dress and eat, and the bills have skyrocketed. […]

These shower days mean water bills, which used to be in the hundreds, have skyrocketed to close to $10,000.

“You can see this is wonderful, but it’s not sustainable, by no means, and we are over capacity,” Woznica said.

* ABC 7…

Four people were taken to the hospital from a Chicago police station, where many migrants are staying, Monday morning.

One of those transports, from the 1st District police station near 17th and State streets in the South Loop, was a child.

Several emergency crews were on the scene.

There are several tents set up outside, with dozens of migrants walking around the area.

Crews were called for a report of multiple sick people at the police station.

* OK, let’s change topics. Press release…

Today, Governor Pritzker was joined by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Deputy Governor Grace Hou, Deputy Governor Martin Torres, elected officials, and state agency directors at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house all early childhood programs and funding. The new unified agency will provide a more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services for young children and families in Illinois.

“We need a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our Smart Start Illinois plan served as the catalyst for this transition, but this new agency will cover so much more. From ISBE’s Early Childhood Block Grants and DCFS’ day care licensing program to DHS’ child care, home visiting and early intervention services, soon all of these programs will be administered under the same agency.”

Reaction from Dezaray Brookshire, State Government Director for Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers (ILDOCC)…

First, on behalf of ILDOCC, we want to applaud Governor Pritzker and his administration for acknowledging that the licensure and oversight of licensed daycares in the state of Illinois, as overseen by the Department of Children and Family Services, is broken and in desperate need for reform. We agree wholeheartedly that new leadership and a fresh approach is critical to rebuilding and strengthening childcare access in Illinois. And creating a single agency focused exclusively on this issue is a positive step forward.

However, even with today’s announcement, it is important to note that the biggest trade organizations that represent providers of child care in every corner of the state were not involved, consulted or informed prior to this morning’s event. This is an example of what providers have faced far too often — where policy decisions are made without the input of the front line experts that provide these services which are relied upon by working families in Illinois.

We welcome Governor Pritzker’s statement that the process must include all stakeholders, and his acknowledgement that the process will require legislation. This alone is a critical improvement over the status quo. As an organization that represents nearly 1,000 separate childcare facilities in Illinois, we look forward to the promise of our inclusion in this process. More importantly, we look forward to working with our legislative champions to ensure this process improves the industry, addresses the long-standing staffing crisis crippling the industry, and increases access to affordable childcare in every corner of the state.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Tribune | Ald. Julia Ramirez issues statement ahead of meeting on potential migrant camp: ‘the mayor’s office did not consult with me’: “Additionally, to my frustration, the mayor’s office did not consult with me or my office about their current plans to construct a temporary shelter — meant to house 1,500 people — at 38th & California, nor did they inform my office that they would be sending work crews to conduct a site assessment last week,” she wrote.

* Crain’s | When her house sells, she’ll donate the proceeds to help homeless people and migrants: Robin Potter is selling her Logan Square home of 43 years with an unusual plan for more than $600,000 in proceeds she’s likely to collect when the sale closes: She’ll donate the entire amount to programs that help migrants and those experiencing homelessness in Chicago. “There’s need on a grand scale in this city, with 18,000 migrants and 68,000 people homeless,” says Potter, a labor and employment attorney. “They’re struggling, and it’s our duty to help them.”

* Tribune | 350 Horizon Therapeutics workers to be laid off, mostly from Deerfield offices, following acquisition by Amgen: As of late last year, Horizon had about 2,000 workers globally, including about 600 in its Deerfield offices, which were the company’s U.S. headquarters. Amgen acquired Horizon on Oct. 6 in a $27.8 billion deal. Amgen said in a statement that about 80% of Horizon’s workers will be placed into jobs at Amgen. The 350 who are being laid off are losing their jobs largely because of “overlap with existing teams at Amgen,” Amgen said in the statement.

* WTTW | City Health Official Watchdog Said Should Be Fired for Role in Smokestack Implosion Promoted, Will Oversee Environmental Inspections and Enforcement: The full 94-page report from the Office of the Inspector General, first reported by WTTW News, urged Graham’s termination, saying evidence demonstrated he was responsible for the “abdication of responsibility and willful bureaucratic negligence” for issues including the failure to adequately soak the ground prior to the implosion, which was led by Hilco Redevelopment Partners.

* WTTW | Cook County Prosecutors Won’t Charge Man Accused of Firing Gun Near Pro-Palestinian Rally in Skokie: Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office announced in a statement that after the office reviewed the events, it would not be filing charges against the man. “After reviewing the evidence, which includes surveillance video and witness statements, we have determined the individual, who holds a valid FOID card and Conceal Carry License and has no criminal history, acted in self-defense upon being surrounded by a crowd and attacked by some of those individuals,” Foxx’s office said.

* Block Club | Bring Chicago Home Advocates Rally To Get Northwest Side Alderpeople On Board With Proposal: Members of 39th Ward Neighbors United, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Communities United held a Monday rally at Ald. Samantha Nugent’s 39th Ward office, 4200 W. Lawrence Ave., to ask her to support the proposal. Over 50 people attended the rally, according to the sign-in sheet, said Mary Tarullo, associate director of policy and strategy at the coalition.

* Beacon-News | Kane officials say new solar field will save the county $200,000 a year: The solar field will be owned, operated and maintained by Nelnet Renewable Energy. The county will purchase the power from Nelnet at a reduced rate. The project was developed by the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources Department and members of the Kane County Board Energy and Environmental Committee.

* Daily Herald | $159 million redevelopment project at old Lombard seminary in jeopardy? Developer looking at options: Nearly three years ago, a suburban developer laid out an ambitious plan for a former seminary campus next to Lombard’s Yorktown Center mall. […] The mixed-use project, however, still hasn’t gotten off the ground. The Schaumburg-based development group is looking at their options, including taking on a partner to pursue the original plan, village officials say.

* Crain’s | MacKenzie Scott breaks donation record at another Chicago nonprofit: Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $8 million to Cara Collective, a Chicago-based workforce development organization. The gift is its largest donation ever, the nonprofit said. This is the latest donation to a Chicago-area nonprofit by Scott, who has donated more than $270 million to Chicago-based locations over the past few years.

* WAND | Owner of Macon Speedway plans to sell: According to the post, Kearns purchased Macon Speedway with the intention of running it with his family but medical issues have made it difficult. Kearns said that if the speedway does not sell in the off season to the right person, he and his son will continue to run it in 2024. The 2023 banquet to honor racers is still slated to continue.

* San Francisco | California DMV suspends Cruise’s driverless taxis in S.F., citing safety concerns: The DMV, one of the state’s regulators for self-driving cars, said there is no set timeline for the suspension. At this time, the DMV says the suspension of Cruise’s driverless ops is based on the determination that “the manufacturer’s vehicles are not safe for the public’s operation.”

* NBC | Tesla says Justice Department is expanding investigations and issuing subpoenas for information: The additional investigation topics and the subpoenas suggest that prosecutors have broadened their inquiry, and they have found the need to force Tesla to disclose information, legal experts say. The filing indicates prosecutors may be investigating Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and whether the company has been candid in describing the features of its vehicles, they say.

* Block Club | Enjoy The 80-Degree Weather — It’ll Be In The 40s By Next Week: “There’s basically a lot of strong, southerly and southwesterly wind, which is pumping a lot of warmer air into the area from the southern plains and the Gulf Coast,” he said. “That’s allowed us to warm up.” Warmer weather in the high 60s and low 70s is expected through the end of the week, though rain is also part of the forecast. By the weekend, temperatures will drop into the 40s and 50s as a cold front passes through the area, Yack said.

Hard-right House Republicans reject Invest in Kids Act compromise

Question of the day

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* In its ongoing series about anti-government extremists infiltrating law enforcement ranks, WBEZ, the Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project published a story entitled “He was a rising football star — then he met this state trooper.” You should read the whole thing to see what happened to the kid, but let’s talk about this…

In a statement last week, state police said they knew Dumais had appeared on the Oath Keepers list, but officials determined that he had only “isolated involvement” with the group in 2009, before he joined the force in 2013. In the leaked data, Dumais appears on membership rolls dated as late as 2015.

“At some point in early 2009 I donated an amount of money which I cannot recall to the Oathkeepers Organization through their website,” Dumais wrote in an internal memo in January 2023. “I do not consider myself a member of this organization.”

Dumais did not return messages. A state police spokesperson defended him as a “decorated officer with no discipline” who was lauded for saving a woman from fatally overdosing and for being the lead investigator in three solved homicide cases.

The spokesperson for the state police said the allegations against Dumais in Mitchell’s lawsuit had been reviewed and it was decided there was “insufficient evidence to support discipline” against the state trooper. The spokesperson also said the settlement with Mitchell was smaller than his initial demand of $1.5 million.

And state police officials said Monday they recently added questions to their job applications to screen aspiring troopers who have been involved in anti-government groups.

The Oath Keepers list was made public in September of 2022.

* One issue not mentioned in the story is that the Illinois State Police Merit Board is specifically prohibited from investigating most actions that took place more than three years before a complaint is filed. So even if a complaint was filed against that trooper, the board couldn’t do anything about conduct in 2009 through 2015, when he was listed as an Oath Keepers member. Here’s the rule…

The Board will not consider any complaint based upon conduct which antedates by three years the date the complaint is filed, except in those instances where the conduct complained of is parallel to criminal conduct as provided by the laws of this state, the United States or any governmental subdivision thereof, in which case this shall conform with the applicable criminal statute of limitations when the applicable criminal statute of limitations is longer. On Petitions for Review, the Board will reverse the suspension based on conduct which antedates by three (3) years the date the suspension was given.

The State Police Merit Board proposed getting rid of this rule in May of 2022, with the support of the ISP. Click here and scroll down to see it. However, I’m told, the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules asked the Merit Board to withdraw the proposed change due to lack of support among its bipartisan membership and opposition from police unions.

* The Question: Should this statute of limitations-style rule be rescinded, extended or left as-is? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.

…Adding… JCAR staff recalls this differently. They’re saying that JCAR took a pass because they learned an unfair labor practice charge was pending before the Illinois Labor Relations Board on this very issue, not on the policy per se.

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Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but take a look at the ad below by the Invest in Kids Act proponents for background if you need it. From the Illinois Freedom Caucus…

The IL Freedom Caucus today is issuing the following statement on the proposed Invest in Kids Act changes, which would keep the program going another five years but would reduce the maximum tax credit dollar amount from $1 million to $500,000 and would reduce the total overall scholarship opportunity amount from $75 million to $50 million.

“This proposal is a non-starter. It will not make the program permanent, and it reduces the available funding for scholarships. The best course of action would be to extend the program and to expand it. This school year alone, the scholarship program has helped 9,500 kids escape failing schools. There are 26,000 applicants in need of scholarship help. But instead of helping kids, it appears the Legislature is dead set on making it harder for this program to help kids in need.

The scholarship money for the Invest in Kids Act comes from private donations and amounts to just 0.9 percent of the budget for public schools. It does not use existing tax dollars or take away any funding from public schools. Illinois Education Association opposition to the Invest in Kids Act is a disgrace. We call on our colleagues to do right by our students, expand this program and make it permanent.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Jed Davis (R-Newark) and David Friess (R-Red Bud). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability, and integrity in government.

All or nothing, apparently. Same as it ever was.

But that, as they say, appears to be the ballgame.

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Raoul, other attorneys general file lawsuit against Meta

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CNBC…

A bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general is suing Meta over addictive features aimed at kids and teens, the AGs announced Tuesday. The support from so many state AGs of different political backgrounds indicates a significant legal challenge to Meta’s business.

Meta is now facing multiple lawsuits on this issue in several districts. AGs from 33 states filed a federal suit against Meta in the Northern District of California, while 9 additional AGs are filing in their own states, according to a press release from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. […]

Several of the practices the AGs focus on for Meta are similar to those exercised by other social media businesses, such as designing algorithms to keep users engaged.

“We share the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement. “We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.”

The lawsuit is here.

* From AG Raoul…

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that his office filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), the company that owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, for its harmful business practices targeting children.

The lawsuit, backed by a broad, bipartisan coalition of 33 states, was filed today in the federal district court for the Northern District of California. In their lawsuit, Raoul and the attorneys general allege that Meta’s business model, which seeks to capture as much user time and attention as possible to sell advertising, has targeted youth, including teenagers and even younger children, in ways that take advantage of them.

“Our children are in crisis, and we need to act,” Raoul said. “The addictive features on Meta’s social media platforms interfere with sleep and education, enable cyberbullying, and contribute to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm. I believe the action we are taking today against Meta is one of – if not the most – important consumer protection actions my office will take. The consequences will affect an entire generation of young people. I am committed to holding Meta, and any other responsible actors, accountable for putting profits ahead of our children.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 14. During the decade since Instagram’s rise in popularity, the CDC reported that the number of high school students who experience feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts and ideation increased by 40%. In that same time period, there was a 30% increase in the rate of high school girls who attempted suicide.

Raoul and the coalition allege that Meta designed its social media platforms to include features that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities to keep them using the platforms longer, and that many of these product features are strongly linked to damaging psychological outcomes. The attorneys general allege that Meta is aware of the potential harms its products cause youth, including driving impulsive behavior; interfering with sleep and education; and exacerbating issues young people have with depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm. Meta’s own research confirmed that its social media platforms are among the worst in harming young users.

“Our son, Nate Bronstein, forever 15, is no longer with us because social media platforms have for far too long placed profits over children’s safety,” said Rose and Rob Bronstein, whose son, died in 2022. “Nate, a super-sharp, funny kid who loved making others laugh, was cyberbullied by fellow students at the Latin School of Chicago. These teens, blinded by the drive to get shares and views, and emboldened by features like self-deleting messages, relied on social media to send vile, threatening messages to Nate, leading to his tragic passing. Reasonable people everywhere have long realized the danger that social media poses to our children, yet the unsafe features remain, and the harm continues, while the profits grow. Thank you to our courageous elected leaders for holding the social media platforms accountable for this reprehensible behavior and protecting other families from having to endure the worst imaginable tragedy.”

“Smartphones and social media are almost universally in every young person’s hand and have the capacity to deeply harm and exacerbate mental health challenges for young people,” said NAMI Illinois CEO Alexa James. “This is a serious public health issue complicating a deeply serious mental health crisis our children and their families are already facing.”

According to the surgeon general, eighth and tenth graders now spend an average of three-and-a-half hours per day on social media. In Illinois, nearly a million Illinois teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 access Instagram every month. From 2020 to 2021 in Illinois alone, over half a million Illinois teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 accessed Instagram every day.

Raoul’s lawsuit alleges that Meta violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting the personal information of children under the age of 13 without obtaining parental permission as required by that statute. The coalition is asking the court to enter an injunction stopping Meta from continuing these unlawful practices.

Today’s lawsuit stems from a bipartisan nationwide investigation announced by Raoul in November 2021, and is part of the Attorney General’s efforts to protect children online and address the negative impacts of social media platforms on young Illinois residents. In May 2021, Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general urging Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. In March 2022, Raoul also announced a bipartisan nationwide investigation into TikTok for providing and promoting its social media platform to children and young adults despite its use being associated with physical and mental health harms.

…Adding… Sen. Rezin…

Illinois Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) issued the following statement in response to announcement that Illinois Attorney General has signed onto a multi-state lawsuit against Meta over the company’s use of addictive features aimed at kids and teens:

“I would like to thank Illinois Attorney General Raoul for his decision to join with 32 other state attorney generals to file a lawsuit to hold Meta accountable for the harmful and addictive algorithms they utilize to profit off of unsuspecting minors.

“I continue to remain committed to working with stakeholders to pass social media legislation during the General Assembly’s spring legislative session that will protect the well-being of our state’s children from every social media company that uses similar tactics that this lawsuit alleges.”

19 Comments

Even after numerous push questions, GOP pollster finds Durkin still only at 40 percent who would consider supporting him

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The wording here is kinda hilarious. To be clear, any Republican would have “support” against a Democrat in Cook County…

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Jim Durkin, the former House minority leader, is still mulling a run for Cook County state’s attorney — and he’s got polling that shows he’d have support against a Democrat.

The survey by Coefficient identifies Durkin, a former Cook County prosecutor, as being “tough on crime” but also backing the assault weapons ban. He was one of only two Republicans to do so when he served in the Illinois House.

By the numbers: The poll shows most people in Cook County support President Joe Biden. Then, it asks, “regardless of your vote for president, would you consider voting for a reform Republican like Jim Durkin?” The answers: 34 percent of women and 46 percent of men said yes.

Durkin would face the winner of the Democratic Party primary, which is a battle between Clayton Harris III, a lawyer and lobbyist who’s been handpicked by Cook County Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle, and former Illinois Appellate Court Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke.

The result is obtained after asking eleven questions, including blatant push questions about how Durkin is “tough on crime,” how he’d created a “multi-prong plan” to address crime, how he voted for the assault weapons ban and how he’d been given the “Defender of the Innocent” award, along with other questions about Kim Foxx, etc.

Also, the final question is misquoted by the above media outlet. The pollster doesn’t ask if respondents would “vote” for Durkin, it asks if they would “consider supporting a reform Republican like Jim Durkin to represent you as your Cook County district attorney” [sic]…

Yes 40 percent
No 25 percent
Unsure 35 percent

Man. That is one heckuva snowjob.

I have always loved me some Jim Durkin, but c’mon, man.

* Let’s move on to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s favorables…

Keep in mind that this is a county-wide poll, so the Chicago-only numbers have a significantly higher margin of error. Even so, not great.

More county-wide Mayor Johnson fave/unfaves, which might be useful when thinking about suburban legislative candidates…

* President Biden…

Coefficient was Gary Rabine’s pollster.

32 Comments

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Here’s How To Make The Tax Credit Scholarship Better

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Bruce Simon

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bruce Simon was truly one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. He was a kind man. He was also an effective, highly knowledgeable lobbyist. Bruce was a great White Sox fan and often hosted charitable and other events at the park.

Bruce passed away last night. This world just won’t be the same without him.

* From Comptroller Susana Mendoza…

My heart aches at this loss, but I thank God for having put me in Bruce Simon’s path over 20 years ago. It gave me the opportunity to meet one of the most amazing, kindest and caring souls in the world. Every time I was lucky enough to see Bruce or spend time with him, it was like seeing and feeling warm sunshine on a cold and cloudy day. I will always treasure our friendship and time together.

Even though Bruce was an incredibly successful lobbyist, I never really saw him so much as a lobbyist but instead an amazing public servant and advocate for millions - someone I really looked up to. I am a better elected official today because of Bruce’s influence on me starting in 2001, as an incoming freshman legislator. He taught me early on how important it was for the most vulnerable among us to have a voice of advocacy fighting for them from those in positions of power to do so.

I genuinely loved Bruce and will miss him dearly. He left an indelible mark of goodness on our state.

My thoughts and prayers are with Marguerite and Bruce’s kids at this time. Bruce loved them more than anything in the world. Being a husband, father and a grandfather was his best and favorite job.

On this earth, Bruce’s lungs gave out. But I know that he got a VIP Express Pass into Heaven where he was able to take the deepest and most gigantic breath of well-deserved Heavenly air. He’s at peace now surrounded by those he loved who went before him, and keeping an eye on all of us. Godspeed my friend until we meet again. ❤️🙏🏼

* RIP…

18 Comments

Today’s quotable

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Former WLS Radio host Big John Howell writing in the Sun-Times…

I was saddened, but not surprised, by the news of the stabbing death of Palestinian American Wadea Al-Fayoume. An innocent 6-year-old victim of a racial, hateful and utterly inexplicable murderous rampage. Wait, maybe not inexplicable.

Prosecutors said in court Mondaythat the alleged killer had listened to conservative talk radio about the situation in the Middle East before the attack.

I don’t know if this is true, nor do I know any details on what programs might have prompted the attack. We’ll learn more regarding this in the future. I’m wondering if we’ll hear some familiar names?

I do know this: Radio companies, stations and especially hosts have to stop peddling lies, fables, conspiracies and corrosive content under the guise of “It’s just business.” I’ve said this a hundred times: If you break the stupid, you own the stupid. The excuse “I didn’t think they’d believe me” doesn’t wash in this environment. Too many crazies waiting for their marching orders.

I’m a 40-year veteran of the radio business, including the last 17 years as a prime time host on two of Chicago’s most conservative talk stations. I’m intimately familiar with techniques in how to influence an audience.

It’s one thing to exaggerate, embellish and utilize satire to make a point about pop culture and politics. It’s entirely different, and far more dangerous, to intentionally mislead and misinform an audience. Over the past few years, I’ve heard far too much of the latter. Extreme rhetoric from both sides is on the rise.

Radio hosts (and companies) have to exercise self control and discretion when presenting and discussing serious, incendiary, life and death topics. Don’t pander to the…(and I’m being kind here) under-informed. You’ll regret it. Those hosts who do so should be held accountable, and so should their enablers and sponsors.

Go read the rest.

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Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

In response to direct feedback, our bill offers substantive improvements along with good-faith compromises which justify extending the Tax Credit Scholarship Program:

2. Reduce the overall size of the program to $50MM (down from $75MM) and reduce the individual giving cap to $500,000 (down from $1MM).

3. Reduce the tax credit for donors to 55% (down from 75%).

4. Encourage more middle-income donors by crediting donations of up to $5,000 with a 100% tax credit.

Illinois, let’s do the right thing. It’s about the kids, not the politics. Save the scholarships.

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

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* We’re back in Springfield for the first day of veto session! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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