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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller We’ve raised over $36,000 so far to help LSSI buy Christmas gifts for children in foster care—thank you! Let’s keep the holiday magic going. Donate today to bring joy to even more children in foster care.
* Bloomberg…
* WTTW…
* Tribune | After prosecutors rest, defense in Madigan corruption trial calls ex-AT&T exec about deal to hire Edward Acevedo: After 30 days of testimony over three months, prosecutors rested their case in chief Wednesday in the blockbuster public corruption trial of Michael Madigan, formerly the immensely powerful speaker of the Illinois House and leader of the state Democratic Party. Prosecutors presented about 150 wiretapped calls and undercover video recordings in the case against Madigan and his co-defendant, ex-lobbyist Michael McClain. * WGN | Prosecutors rest case in Madigan federal corruption trial: The only witness to take the stand for the defense so far is Stephen Selcke, longtime AT&T Illinois lobbyist, who testified separately for the prosecution during the trial of former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza, which ended in a hung jury. La Schiazza allegedly agreed to pay Madigan allies, including former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo, a one-time assistant majority leader to Madigan, thousands of dollars in do-nothing contracts. * Capitol News Illinois | Feds set to rest case in Madigan trial; defense prepares to call first witnesses: Though he wouldn’t get a formal diagnosis of dementia until a few years – and one felony plea – later, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo told FBI agents and government lawyers in a September 2019 interview that he had memory problems. Those memory issues made for confused and, at times, emotionally charged testimony this week when the government called Acevedo as one of its final witnesses in the trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Prosecutors are set to rest their case Wednesday while defense attorneys gear up to call their own witnesses. * NBC Chicago | Is the DMV open in Illinois during Christmas week? What to know about holiday hours: Illinois drivers license and DMV facilities across the state will be closed for part of Christmas Week for 2024, according to the Illinois Secretary of State, as well as the week following. According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s list of state holidays, DMVs will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve — and Wednesday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day. * WBEZ | How the new Chicago budget will hit your pocketbook: In all, increased fees, fines or taxes on everything from plastic bags to rideshares are expected to yield an additional $170 million in revenue for 2025 — helping to close a $982 million deficit. The hikes helped Johnson make good on a promise not to layoff or furlough city workers, or cut essential services. While his budget nixes some vacant positions from the city’s spending, no current employees will lose their jobs. * Tribune | Chicago Board of Education meeting called, schools’ chief job could be discussed: If the board were to vote to fire Martinez, it would happen in closed session. There is a motion for a closed session on the agenda to discuss the employment of CPS personnel, but it is not clear if the board’s lawyers will move to oust the district’s leader. Anything can technically be discussed in a closed session. * Block Club | Trump Wants To Deport Them. Chicago Is Scaling Back Help. Meet The Migrants Stuck In Limbo: More than two years after busloads of migrants began arriving in Chicago from the southern border, many of the new arrivals are broke, unhoused or facing eviction, prohibited from working legally and unable to return safely to their home countries — essentially stuck in limbo. Yet local government officials have scaled back resources for recent arrivals by closing shelters and ending rental assistance, citing a decline in new arrivals and budget constraints. * Crain’s | How did we get all these McMansions? UIC professor finds their origin story.: Stewart Hicks, an architecture professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, believes he’s found the birthplace of the McMansion movement. In a video he posted to YouTube Dec. 12, Hicks traces the McMansion back to the late 1950s invention of a modest metal plate made to keep roofs solid in the face of storms. “This little invention is responsible for the suburbs as we know it,” Hicks says in the video, the 139th in a series about architecture he started posting during the pandemic. Hicks, who has degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan and Princeton University, has been teaching at UIC since 2012. He’s now an associate professor of architecture and associate dean of physical resources and planning and lives in the West Loop.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago White Sox announce new ballpark name for 2025 season: The Chicago White Sox will be playing in a renamed ballpark for the 2025 season. According to an announcement from the team Tuesday, the ballpark will now be known as Rate Field beginning with the 2025 season, reflecting their sponsor’s name change that dropped the word “Guaranteed” earlier this year. * Daily Herald | Accused Highland Park parade shooter’s incriminating statements to be admitted at trial: Incriminating statements made by the man charged with fatally shooting seven people two years ago at Highland Park’s Independence Day parade can be played in court at his trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti denied defense attorney’s motion to suppress the videotaped remarks Robert E. Crimo III gave to police after his arrest, rejecting arguments that his constitutional rights had been violated during questioning. * Daily Southtown | Homer Glen Village Board race finalized with 9 candidates for 3 trustee positions: Objections were filed to nominating petitions for 15 of the 17 interested candidates who filed to run for three trustee positions. Pericles Abbasi, an attorney to Craig Carlson who objected to 14 of those petitions, withdrew the five outstanding objections to petitions from Ruben L. Pazmino, Kevin Koukol, John Hayes, Katie Surges and Kyle Surges. Because their objections were removed, they will appear on the April 1 ballot. * Daily Southtown | Lawsuit seeking back rent from Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard pushed to January: Hull filed eviction papers in September, saying Henyard and Kamal Woods owe more than $3,350 in unpaid rent and late fees for the home in the 14600 block of Harvard Street. In an amended complaint filed Dec. 2, Hull now seeks more than $13,600 in rent, damages and attorney fees. The new complaint said Henyard and Woods last paid rent in August. * ABC Chicago | Supervisor Tiffany Henyard warns Thornton Township shutdown could start Wednesday: The threat of a government shutdown comes as a fifth Thornton Township meeting had to be canceled because of a lack of a quorum. The result of Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez not showing up. Their aim is to block Supervisor Tiffany Henyard from appointing someone to a vacant trustee position, who could provide tie-breaking votes. * Capitol City Now | The man with two jobs: The answer has not changed, but aldermen continue to press the question: Can Frank Lesko serve as Springfield city clerk and Sangamon County recorder simultaneously? “There’s about 26 pages from the attorney general’s office.” said corporation counsel Greg Moredock. “They will look at each individual conflict, and there has never been an opinion (dealing with the combination of) a city clerk and a county recorder.” * WJBD | Centralia City Manager announces plan to resign: “I’m going to miss you terribly, but you taught me a lot about city management, and I appreciate that,” Allen said to Smith. “You’ve taken the time, listened, and done a lot of things that I asked you to do. You have done fabulously for the city.” Smith plans to vacate the city manager position in January, and will be joining the Crain, Miller & Wernsman law firm in Centralia. * Herald & Review | Decatur council approves hiring of high-powered lobbying firm: The Decatur City Council unanimously approved a two year, $8,333-per-month contract with Mercury Public Affairs, adding to the city’s portfolio of lobbyists to push the city’s legislative agenda and fight to bring more state and federal dollars back to Soy City. * WSIL | Carbondale city leaders look to the future in their state of the city address: “I am proud of our budget,” Mayor Harvey says. “We’ve received these awards for our budget for many years.” During her speech, Harvey shared that the city has not raised its portion of property tax for several years, and talked about its work to invest in the town. * WaPo | How much abuse can a local newspaper reporter take?: On Feb. 1, Tom Lisi took a seat in Courtroom 12 of the Lancaster County Courthouse. He was looking into a possible story on how prosecutors handle criminal cases, a routine outing on his beat as county reporter for LNP/Lancaster Online, which is a daily newspaper of 70 newsroom positions in south-central Pennsylvania that shares ownership with Harrisburg-based public broadcaster WITF. After settling into his seat, Lisi received some not-so-routine attention from a deputy sheriff, who yanked the journalist from the courtroom and inquired about the topic of his reporting.
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Please, slow down and move over
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Fox Chicago…
* Meanwhile…
- Illinois launches campaign to combat teen distracted driving - Illinois State Police squad car hit while at scene of another crash in Downers Grove * Today from the Illinois State Police…
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Energy Storage Brings Cheaper Electricity, Greater Reliability
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois’ economy is growing and as a result, so is electricity demand. This rising demand is projected to outpace supply, which means higher costs and the potential for reliability issues. The solution? Build more clean energy resources while lowering demand peaks. By expanding small- and large-scale energy storage and renewable energy, Illinois can ensure the economy has the electricity it needs to fuel growth. What’s more, renewable energy is low-cost while energy storage optimizes supply and demand, lowering costs for all Illinoisans. Illinois can’t make a successful transition away from expensive fossil fuel plants without enough energy storage. Support comprehensive renewable energy and energy storage policies; learn more here. https://www.solarpowersillinois.com/legislation-hb-5856
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Janet Yang Rohr filed HB5923 yesterday…
Click here for more background on Alyssa’s law. * A mobile panic alert system similar to Rep. Yang Rohr’s proposal was used during a school shooting in Georgia ABC…
* Florida passed legislation requiring panic buttons in classrooms in 2020. CNN…
In 2019, the Illinois State Board of Education reported a total of 4,231 public schools across the state. Outfitting each school with a panic button at an estimated cost of $8,000 could amount to nearly $34 million. * New York also passed legislation, though it only requires schools to consider installing the alarms…
Thoughts?
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Roundup: Federal prosecutors rest their case against Michael Madigan
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Just in…
* Sun-Times…
* Yesterday, ex-state Rep. Acevedo was back on the stand. Tribune…
* Sun-Times…
* WGN…
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist goes to John Amdor…
Amdor is, indeed, an Illinois treasure. I just love the guy. John also has one of the coolest houses that you have ever seen. * The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Legislative Liaison goes to Wendy Butler…
Congratulations! * On to today’s categories…
Best Statewide Staffer Please explain your nominations or they won’t count. Also please nominate in both categories. Thanks! * We’re shutting down on Friday for the winter break. You’ll still be able to help buy Christmas presents for foster kids after then, but we won’t be around to bug you several times a day. So, please, please click here and donate whatever you can to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois brighten a child’s life. Think of the awful chaos in these kids’ lives and the joy a simple gift could bring to their hearts. We’re not trying to solve big problems with this annual fundraiser, we’re simply hoping to alleviate some heartache. Again, please click here. Thank you.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please… We’ve raised over $35,000 to help LSSI buy Christmas gifts for children in foster care—every $25 brings us closer to making their holiday magical! Click here to donate if you are able.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: We’ve raised over $35,000 to make Christmas magical for children in foster care! Click here to donate… But with 2,530 kids to serve, we still need your help to cross the finish line. $25 buys a gift and brings joy to a child this holiday season. Let’s keep the momentum going—Christmas is just around the corner! * WTTW | Waiting for Grace: Incarcerated People Hope Pritzker Addresses More Petitions for Clemency: Zavala is one of more than 1,100 people who submitted petitions for clemency to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in 2021 alone. He’s one of 535 that landed on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk. […] The Prisoner Review Board said just this year, Pritzker has granted only six clemency petitions. In 2023 he granted 57, and 11 in 2022. But he granted 144 in 2020 and 2021 each. * Center Square | Illinois Senate Human Rights Committee says housing is a human right: State Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said he called for the hearing in an effort to fight for humane, clean and well-kept residential buildings while addressing the strain of increased property taxes in Illinois, the second highest in the nation. “Housing directly impacts a person’s health, ability to thrive, and generations of families just like my own, so today we aim to address the fact that housing is a human right,” said Simmons. * Sanborn Williams Consulting | IDFPR Hosts Town Hall on New Licensing Software Launch: Secretary Mario Treto opened up the town hall meeting with a pledge to be a partner with license holders, wanting to right the debacles of the past and not just start a new chapter but write a new book on the relationship between licensees and regulators. Treto’s genuine desire to improve the licensing system has already been felt by the music therapists, who have had a direct line of communication with the Department to get every glitch fixed, even something as small as a formatting issue on a pocket-sized license printout. * WREX | Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has returned from the State of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Midwest Delegation: Representative McCombie sharing that following the delegation, the Illinois House’s next step is to successfully re-file a resolution in remembrance of October 7th. Adding that once passed, it’ll show as another form of strong support. * Covers | Revenue Plummets in Illinois Despite Record Sports Betting Handle in October: Sports betting operators’ 5.6% hold was the state’s eighth-lowest ever and down from four points year-over-year. Retail sportsbooks didn’t even produce a 4% win rate on the $36.7 million wagered in person. Mobile operators kept 5.7% of a nearly $1.41 billion handle. * WAND | Workers prepare for Illinois minimum wage increase in the new year: “So for tipped workers you know, it goes up to $9 dollars an hour. It was set at 8 dollars and 40 cents, so it goes up to nine. And, for those child workers or those under the age of 18, it will go up to $13 dollars,” explained Jason Keller, the Assistant Director for the Illinois Department of Labor. This is the 7th and final minimum wage increase, with the first one being in January of 2020. * Fox Chicago | Scott’s Law violations on the rise in Illinois, Dan Ryan and Eisenhower are ‘danger zones’: The Illinois State Police is urging drivers to follow Scott’s Law—commonly known as the Move-Over Law—after a troubling rise in crashes this year. With 25 crashes related to violations, 12 state troopers have been injured, and Chicagoland remains a hotspot for these dangerous incidents. * Tribune | Calls for CTU transparency from principals and newly elected school board members: Angel Gutierrez, who won the race for school board in the Southwest Side’s District 8, wrote a letter to Chicago Public Schools officials last Friday asking for an explanation as to why a scheduled training for newly elected school board members this week was canceled. Gutierrez urged the current seven-member appointed board “to refrain from making significant decisions until the new board — both elected and appointed — is officially seated in five weeks.” * Greg Hinz | Will Johnson learn from his budget fiasco?: Overall, this budget process was the bonehead amateur hour, be it initially proposing a $300 million property tax that was a deal breaker and not a conversation starter, moving to gut enforcement of the police department consent decree that is critical to achieving racial justice in Chicago, or trying to pass the budget tab to Chicago Public Schools, Springfield or the business community — anyone except Johnson’s labor allies, who suffered neither job nor pay cuts. * WBEZ | Chicago Film Office leader out of job at city’s cultural department: Deputy Commissioner Jonah Zeiger’s departure, which was confirmed Tuesday by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is the latest in a series of high-profile staff changes in recent months at the department. Zeiger — who often greeted the public at events like Millennium Park’s movie series and other film festivals — is at least the fourth DCASE deputy commissioner to exit since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Clinée Hedspeth to lead the department in March. * Crain’s | Old Post Office owner nears deal for East Loop office tower: If a sale is completed at close to that price — no guarantee, given many buyers’ struggle to secure financing today for office purchases — it would add to the list of office building sales downtown that have financially clobbered sellers over the past couple years. The COVID-19-fueled rise of remote work has combined with elevated interest rates to hammer office property values and leave landlords with few options to pay off maturing debt. The result: a Chicago central business district riddled with buildings in foreclosure and other types of financial distress.
* ABC Chicago | Supervisor Tiffany Henyard threatens Thornton Township government shutdown: The threat of a shutdown comes as a Thornton Township meeting, for the fifth time in recent weeks, had to be canceled because of a lack of a quorum. It was the result of Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez not showing up. Their aim is to block Henyard from appointing someone who could provide tie-breaking votes to a vacant trustee position. * Sun-Times | Sheriff Tom Dart plans to scrap decades-old electronic monitoring program over safety concerns: More than 1,500 people are in the program, including more than 100 facing charges of murder or attempted murder. Dart says he thinks the program should be for people charged with lower-level crimes. He’s negotiating with Chief Judge Timothy Evans to handle all of the county’s electronic monitoring cases after April 1. * Naperville Sun | After decades of red, 2024 election shows DuPage County now ‘reliably blue,’ observers say: County-wide, three-term DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen was unseated by Democratic challenger Judith Lukas. Democratic incumbents prevailed in their reelection bids for circuit clerk and auditor while the Democratic candidate clinched a win in the race for recorder. On the DuPage County Board, a Democratic challenger unseated her Republican predecessor, while other Democratic incumbents held onto their seats, leaving the body with 12 Democrats, six Republicans and a Democratic chair. * Daily Herald | Des Plaines joins coalition against hate speech: Des Plaines is the latest community to join a suburban coalition against hate speech and hate crimes. The city council on Monday approved a resolution supporting the Cook County United Against Hate initiative. Championed by Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, the organization formed nearly three years ago after antisemitic literature was left in residential driveways across northern Cook County. * Daily Herald | Authorities: Two dozen geese sickened, killed by lead pellets in suburban parks: The volunteer managed to catch one and bring it to the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn. X-rays determined the goose had eaten lead pellets. From Nov. 15 to Dec. 7, volunteers captured sick geese nearby. Some were found in retention ditches off North Avenue in Lombard, at North Terrace Pond in Villa Park, and some at an industrial park retention pond in Addison. * Herald Whig | Quincy Park Board to consider action on Frankenhoff: Following accusations from Trent Lyons made last week as his explanation for his resignation, the Quincy Park Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday to consider action against long-time Commissioner John Frankenhoff. In his statement of resignation as a Park Board commissioner and the board’s vice president, Lyons said the motivating factor in his stepping down was what he called Frankenhoff’s “history of manipulation, bullying, harassment, and abuse.” * WCIA | Central IL volunteer fire departments facing staffing shortage issues: “The last ten years, we’ve kind of seen a trend in people not wanting to do it,” Dilley said. “The last five years, it’s become a crisis, for us at least. And I think for a lot of other departments.” He said right now they have a roster of 10 to 12 people. They’ve tried everything from recruitment videos, sending out mailers to the communities, pleading for help and brainstorming with other departments. But nothing has worked. * WCIA | 23 Central IL nursing homes, rehab facilities fined by IDPH: Almost two dozen nursing homes and rehab facilities across Central Illinois are facing fines from the IDPH for violations of both state and federal law. The Illinois Department of Public Health recently released its quarterly report for nursing home violations throughout the state. Over 300 facilities were fined between $50,000 and $500 for violations of varying severity that were found in the third quarter of the year. * WCIA | Southern Illinois organization temporarily closes meal centers after delays in reimbursements: The organization gets reimbursements through the Department on Aging, but in October, they never got paid and have used up their reserve funding. And when they do get payments, they say they’re often late. “Right now, it consistently runs about 60 plus days behind in funding,” Jessica Backs, the executive director of BCMW Community Services, said. “The program itself, on average is $50,000 to $60,000 a month to run, so it does take a big chunk of change to operate and run the program to ensure that we have staff, food, gas for the cars and so forth, insurance and things like that.” * WGLT | State grant to fund sustainable park in west Bloomington: The city said the project is a step forward in Bloomington’s commitment to environmental stewardship, public education, and residential quality of life. The grant is one of 100 park projects the state is funding with $55.2 million; 29 of the grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program will go to economically distressed communities. * WSIL | Local lawmakers team up with food pantry for free turkey giveaway: State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and State Representative David Friess (R-Red Bud) partnered with Meridian Health Plan of Illinois and Chester Area Christian Food Pantry. On Wednesday, they handed out donated turkeys to more than 130 Randolph County residents at the food pantry’s mobile market. * SJ-R | Possible closure of Boys & Girls Clubs programs in Springfield has families in limbo: More than one parent or grandparent has said they are heartbroken that their child’s Boys & Girls Clubs of America program could be closing because of grant funding that was not able to be renewed earlier this month. Eight programs in Springfield are scheduled to end after New Years, though money raised and matched by large donor could extend the programs to reach the end of the school year. * WIFR | Rockford-area leaders support funding private school safety after Madison shooting: State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) attended Boylan Catholic High School years after a student shot his teacher in 1983. On Monday, a deadly shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wis., reminded him of his responsibility as a lawmaker: “to protect every child in my district.” That duty also raises a question to him: how can private schools stay as safe as public schools? * WTVO | ‘The culture is shifting’ Winnebago Co. overdose deaths plummet: The nation has experienced a decline in overdose deaths, according to the CDC, and Winnebago County is no exception. Overdose deaths in Winnebago County peaked in 2022 at 166, but as 2024 starts to wind down, there have been only 63 overdose deaths. This would be a 57.7% decrease compared to last year. * Crain’s | Marriott acquires cabins near Starved Rock as part of 2025 outdoor recreation push: Marriott International is expanding into the outdoor hospitality market through deals with Postcard Cabins and Trailborn that include the acquisition of a large network of cabins near the popular Starved Rock State Park. The two companies specialize in accommodations tailored to outdoor recreation, and the new portfolio will serve as the anchor of Marriott’s outdoor-focused collection set to launch in 2025. * Tampa Bay Times | Pinellas County approves bonds to pay for new Rays stadium: “It was unsurprising to see the Commissioners acknowledge how important the Tampa Bay Rays and our stadium development agreement are to this community and its citizens,” Rays president Matt Silverman said. “As we have made clear, the County’s delay has caused the ballpark’s completion to slide into 2029. As a result, the cost of the project has increased significantly, and we cannot absorb this increase alone. When the County and City wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together.” * WaPo | In online drone panic, conspiracy thinking has gone mainstream: More than half of U.S. adults now get their news from social media, according to data from the Pew Research Center, and the voracious demands of the content economy often influence what’s considered newsworthy and how fast stories develop. Over the past month, as authorities have met the growing drone panic with occasional flight restrictions and scant information, online creators and communities have taken over, rushing to fill in the blanks with theories tailored to followers across the political spectrum.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here to help LSSI bring Holiday joy to children in foster care. You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller Our LSSI fundraiser is active! So far we’ve raised over $32,000! Thank you to all those who donated! But there’s so much more Holiday joy to spread, so please give if you’re able.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Christmas is a week from tomorrow!. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised more than $33K to help LSSI buy Christmas presents for children in foster care. That’s an incredible start—but we’re not done yet! Your gift makes all the difference. Let’s make this Christmas unforgettable for children in need! Click here to donate. * Bloomberg…
* ABC Chicago…
Click here for the press release. * Alexi Giannoulias | Competent governance is a good political strategy: If Democrats are looking for a new political priority, we should consider administrative competence and innovation. It’s not very sexy, but in a world of increasing uncertainty, more reliable delivery of basic services just might be something people want right now. For example, for as long as most of us can remember, state departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) have been a shorthand joke about inefficient government at its finest. Getting a driver’s license or updating your vehicle registration has been likened to getting a root canal. When I became secretary of state in 2023, we were under no illusions that Illinois’ DMV could one day be a “fun” experience, but we hoped it might be something less than a frustrating, time-consuming inconvenience. We hoped it might actually be efficient. * Crain’s | Ascension, Prime hospital deal gets green light from state: As part of the deal, Prime will shut down one of the hospitals — Ascension St. Elizabeth, which serves the Humboldt Park and Wicker Park communities — because of low patient volume. It will be repurposed as something more valuable to the community. The health facilities board is slated to review that particular decision in March. Aside from Ascension St. Elizabeth, Ascension plans to offload Ascension Resurrection and Ascension Saint Mary hospitals in Chicago; Ascension Holy Family in Des Plaines; Ascension Mercy in Aurora; Ascension Saint Francis in Evanston; Ascension Saint Joseph in Joliet and Elgin; and Ascension Saint Mary in Kankakee. * SJ-R | Hundreds of new laws coming to Illinois in 2025. Here are 10 you need to know about: Employers with 15 or more employees will be required to disclose pay scale and benefit information in job postings. The change is result of an amendment to the Equal Pay Act of 2003 that was contained in HB 3129, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023. * Block Club | Pricier Checkout Bags, Rideshares, Streaming: Here Are The Fee And Tax Hikes In Chicago’s 2025 Budget: During a post-Council press conference on Monday evening, Johnson defended the bag tax hike and other increases as necessary to continue funding city services, as well as expanding programs like his signature summer youth hiring initiative. “There’s no cuts to services, there’s no layoffs, there’s no furloughs,” Johnson said. “Services for garbage, for snow removal, for lights, those services are still being made available, even though that there are some individuals that wanted to cut those services. We didn’t do that. We protect working people in this city.” * Block Club | Chicago Promised Better Mental Health Care. Shooting Survivors Say They Haven’t Seen It: During The Trace’s second Chicago Survivor Storytelling Workshop, all seven participants said that survivors of gun violence should have easy access to mental health care and support groups — but despite officials’ rhetoric, resources are still falling short. In 2023, when Mayor Brandon Johnson took office, he promised to reopen the six mental health clinics that former Mayor Rahm Emanuel had shut down across the city. […] Getting a foot in the counseling door is not easy Before people can start counseling, they often have to overcome several obstacles, including cultural stigmas. In the Latino community, Rendon said, seeing a therapist can mark someone as “crazy.” Men, he added, often are expected “to be tough” and “let it go.” * Chalkbeat Chicago | Joshua Long has led Chicago Public Schools’ disability office for a year. What has changed?: Before Long took on this role, the district’s disabilities office faced significant challenges. During the early days of the pandemic, schools struggled to provide new Individualized Education Programs to students and to update existing plans. The district has also struggled to transport students with disabilities to schools, and advocates have filed several complaints with the Illinois State Board of Education for lack of busing and long transportation times. In 2023, the state found that the district’s restraint and time-out practices were putting students at risk. Speaking to Chalkbeat Chicago, Long reflected on the past year, shared what he’s working on, and opened up about his ideas for the future even as Chicago Public Schools even with tight budgets. * Sun-Times | Mac Properties diverts housing voucher holders from Hyde Park’s desirable apartments, class action suit says: In some instances described in the suit, plaintiffs said they were denied apartment applications or tours of certain Mac buildings once leasing agents learned of their housing voucher. Other voucher holders said agents falsely told them that their desired property did not have any available units, only for non-voucher holders to inquire about the same units with success. * Daily Herald | Why you won’t be able to use Kennedy Expressway reversibles until mid-January: Pavement reconstruction on the reversible lanes went smoothly but the electrical and software aspects of the REVLAC work was challenging, Illinois Department of Transportation District 1 Bureau Chief of Construction Jon Schumacher said. The project included “removing and replacing 90,000 feet of power cable, installing nearly 150 feet of fiber optic cables, six restraining barriers, 120 swing gates and 54 cameras,” he explained. Final testing of the system should start Jan. 2. * WTTW | Demolition of Damen Silos Clears Key Hurdle, as Army Corps Lends Its Approval: Chicago’s Department of Buildings, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, still needs to weigh in on the demolition permit application, but the Corps’ approval was necessary due to the site’s location on the South Branch of the Chicago River. The massive silos — popular with urban explorers and famously featured in “Transformers: Age of Extinction” — date back more than a century but haven’t been used as grain elevators since the 1970s. * WTTW | Community Organizations Work to Combat Chicago’s Food Insecurity Crisis, Grocery Deserts: This year, the state of Illinois began offering grants to small grocers who open stores in food deserts through the Illinois Grocery Initiative. Chicago is also looking into opening a city-owned supermarket, but has not yet released a plan. Until then, nonprofit organizations said they will continue to fill the gap as much as possible. * Sun-Times | Advocate plans $1 billion investment in South Side health care, will replace Trinity Hospital: The new, 52-bed hospital will replace Advocate Trinity Hospital, a 263-bed hospital that’s been on the South Side since 1895. The hospital system hopes the investment closes Chicago’s 30-year life expectancy gap between residents on the South and North sides, Advocate Trinity Hospital President Michelle Blakely told the Chicago Sun-Times. * WTTW | Caught on Camera! River Otter Snapped for First Time in 15 Years of Monitoring by Lincoln Park Zoo’s Wildlife Cams: After more than a few false IDs and several tantalizing random hints of an otter-like shoulder or tail, one of the zoo’s cameras finally clicked at the right moment and, for the first time in nearly 15 years, caught an otter in full view. Twice. Staff spotted the photos of the elusive otter during a quick initial scroll through image files collected during the institute’s fall monitoring “season” — one of four conducted annually in January, April, July and October. […] Still, Chicago is 150 miles from the nearest place where otters were reintroduced in Illinois. The fact that they’ve ventured so far into urban territory is a testament to the health of the region’s rivers. * Courier-News | Elgin council to vote on plan to move tent city residents to hotels, tear down encampment: Elgin City Council members will discuss a proposal Wednesday under which the city would secure a block of 50 rooms at a rate of $65 per day for single occupancy over a four-month period. A scaled rate would be available for couples and those with pets. The estimated cost would be $390,000, which would come from the $614,400 the city has earmarked in the budget to help the homeless. Additionally, Elgin has $400,000 in Safe Spaces, Healthy Minds Affordable Housing grant money awarded through the Kane County Health Department, city officials said. * Daily Herald | Power station being built for Mount Prospect data center, legislative hurdles linger: Meanwhile, the village board at Tuesday’s meeting is expected to approve a maximum $60,000 contract for lobbying services with Mac Strategies Group. Former state Sen. Matt Murphy will be working in Springfield on behalf of the village. One of the issues the village is seeking help with is the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, otherwise known as BIPA. This legislation would affect data center operations like CloudHQ. * Sun-Times | Amazon workers in Skokie authorize potential strike: Amid the busy holiday shopping season, hundreds of workers at an Amazon delivery station in Skokie have voted to authorize a potential strike as they continue demands for a union contract with the online retail behemoth. Workers are not currently on strike, but a work stoppage could happen any time, said a spokesperson for the Teamsters labor union, which represents hundreds of delivery drivers at the Skokie facility. * Daily Herald | $13 million project to eliminate Buffalo Grove bottleneck complete: Construction included building an additional travel lane in each direction and a road median with left turn lanes. A multiuse path was built on the north side of Aptakisic and a sidewalk on the south. Other elements include new underground storm sewer to improve drainage, concrete curbs, guardrails and a wider shoulder to better accommodate on-road bicyclists, according to the division of transportation. * Daily Herald | ‘Such a force for good’: Renowned environmental lawyer Collins who fought for pollution victims dies: Collins, devoted family man and nationally honored litigator who fought corporate polluters and won millions for victims, died Sunday at age 67. The Naperville resident fought a “valiant battle” following a heart attack last month, relatives said. “He was a big personality, a big presence, and he just wanted to do something to make the world a better place,” Collins’ wife, Meg, said Monday. * Daily Herald | Why Glendale Heights village president could be thrown off ballot: A Monday hearing on a petition challenge was continued for a week so the Glendale Heights Municipal Officers Electoral Board could get a report from the DuPage County clerk about the validity of some contested signatures on Khokhar’s nominating petition. The same is true for a challenge to the petition of Ed Pope, who is also running for village president. * AFSCME | Workers at another Illinois library organize with AFSCME: They voted unanimously to form their union, which was certified by the Illinois Labor Relations Board on Nov. 6. The UFL has been Urbana-Champaign’s public library since 1874. Library employees were motivated to organize by a pattern of unfair and unequal treatment from management. “We were all frustrated, trying to understand why the people who actually make this library run were being treated like dirt,” said Callie Ferencak, a library assistant and a member of the organizing committee. * 25News Now | 800 Central Illinois kids will have a very Merry Christmas: The Baby Fold has served Central Illinois children and families since 1902, offering various services from intervention to post-adoption. Each year, the organization gets to fulfill Christmas wish lists for the children in their program, and this year, they are creating Christmas magic for 800 kids. * BND | Illinois State Police agent accused of hitting Swansea teen’s car and leaving scene: Shiloh Police Department records show that Sgt. Chris Flynn cited Feix on charges of disregarding a traffic signal and leaving the scene. In a police interview shortly after the accident, Feix reportedly told Flynn his grandmother was sick, and he was headed to see her in west Belleville when he “tapped somebody” at the intersection of Hartman Lane and Thouvenot Lane, which becomes Frank Scott Parkway. * ESPN | MLB study identifies factors for rise in pitching injuries: The study identified problems occurring at both the professional and amateur levels after interviewing over 200 people within the industry, including “former professional pitchers, orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers, club officials, biomechanists, player agents, amateur baseball stakeholders, and other experts in pitcher development.” The study made broad recommendations — including potential rule changes — to address the increase in pitching injuries. MLB, however, said the study was just the first step in a process which needs even more examination.
* ProPublica | A Coast Guard Commander Miscarried. She Nearly Died After Being Denied Care: There’s also no exception for catastrophic or fatal fetal anomalies. In such cases, service members either have to pay out of pocket for abortions or carry to term fetuses that won’t survive outside the womb. Tricare does allow abortions in cases like Nakagawa’s, in which the fetus has no heartbeat. But even then, some doctors who treat military service members say that Tricare requires more documentation and takes longer to approve these procedures than other insurers, putting women at risk.
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Pritzker dragged into Trump’s latest media lawsuit
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Daily Beast…
The alleged creation of an alleged “false narrative of inevitability for Harris” allegedly involved Gov. JB Pritzker. * From the lawsuit…
* The “stray tweet” referenced above…  * Back to the lawsuit…
I’ve asked the Pritzker campaign for comment and I’ll update with any response.
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best In-House Lobbyist goes to a relative newbie: Frances Orenic at the IL AFL-CIO…
* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Contract Lobbyist is a tie between two commenter favorites: Liz Brown-Reeves…
* And Litesa Wallace…
Congratulations! * On to today’s categories…
Best Legislative Liaison Remember to try and nominate in both categories and remember to explain your nominations or they won’t count. Thanks. * I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached $30,000 yesterday to help buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Unlike last year, we haven’t had a wealthy person issue a matching donation challenge. But, we’re up to $33,320 as I write this. Christmas is fast approaching. And our annual winter break is even closer than that. So, please, click here and do what you can to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy presents for those kids. Thanks!
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Preckwinkle: ‘We have a system, unfortunately, that benefits [property] tax appeal lawyers’
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Cook County has a little over 40 percent of the state’s population, so it’s economic health is very important. Property taxes, particularly commercial property taxes, can play a big role in that health, or lack thereof. The county commissioned a study to take a look at its property tax system. The commercial system was looked at first. The full study is here. More info is here. From a press release…
* Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was on WBEZ recently and summed up another part of the problem…
More on that particular aspect…
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Roundup: Ex-state Rep. Acevedo takes the stand in Madigan corruption trial (Updated)
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel…
* Tribune…
…Adding… The prosecution plans to rest their case later today…
* More…
* Sun-Times | ‘Did you bring your glasses today sir?’ Testimony of ex-state Rep. Edward Acevedo gets testy: By reminding Acevedo of his failure to bring his glasses to court on Monday — which drew the ire of the judge — Bhachu set the tone for what would be a rapid-fire series of questions about Acevedo’s memory and how his testimony in Madigan’s trial differed from what he told a federal grand jury under oath two years ago. Acevedo, meanwhile, has been diagnosed with dementia and a brain tumor, and his testimony is sure to be framed by the defense as unreliable.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* HB5841’s synopsis…
* Tribune…
Thoughts?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Open thread
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois… Don’t forget! We’ve made great progress, raising $32,520 so far—but there’s still more to do to support the incredible work of LSSI this holiday season. Your generosity helps bring hope, care, and joy to families who need it most. Click here to donate.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller We’ve raised $32,520 so far—enough for 1,300 gifts! But with 2,530 kids counting on us, we still need your help to close the gap. Click here to donate. * ICYMI: After weeks of wrangling, Johnson wins narrow passage of his $17.1B budget. Crain’s…
- A separate vote on city spending, revised downward from $17.3 billion, was approved 27-to-23. -Johnson also looked ahead, pledging to find the progressive revenue that has thus far escaped his grasp. He repeatedly mentioned working with state leaders to take a second run at imposing a graduated income tax at the state level. * Related stories… ∙ Block Club: City Council Passes 2025 Budget That Avoids Property Tax Hike ∙ Tribune: Aldermen finally pass Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 Chicago budget ∙ Sun-Times: City Council finally passes Johnson’s $17.3B budget — with no property tax hike * BND | Metro-east mobile home parks bought by outside investment firm leave tenants ‘suffering’: Residents of multiple local mobile home parks purchased by Homes of America have been living with leaking roofs, mold and pests and going without heating or cooling because they say the company is deferring needed maintenance and leaving tenants feeling ignored, while also raising the costs to live in what were once affordable homes. Their complaints and living conditions were detailed in interviews, as well as a number of lawsuits and government inspection reports. * Streetsblog | Illinois could help beat the transit fiscal cliff by shifting federal funding from highways to public transportation: “Every governor in the U.S. has the opportunity to move money towards public transportation that they have already received from the Bipartisan Infrastructure law,” Levin explained. He noted that in November, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro moved $153 million in BIL money from highway funding towards SEPTA, Philadelphia’s transit authority. “We think Illinois has an opportunity to do the same.” * KHQA | Illinois law requires employers to disclose pay scale and benefits in job postings by 2025: The Pay Transparency Law takes effect January 1, 2025, in Illinois. This law requires pay scale and benefit information in job postings. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is reminding job seekers and employers that, effective January 1, 2025, all job postings made by employers with 15 or more employees will need to include pay scale and benefit information. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois’ presidential electors to meet Tuesday to cast votes for Harris: After Tuesday’s ceremony at the Statehouse, the electors’ ballots will be sent to the president of the U.S. Senate, where they will be opened and counted during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6. Since the vice president serves as president of the Senate, that means Harris will have the responsibility to open the ballots and declare her opponent, Trump, the winner. * Press Release | Eliot Clay Selected as New AISWCD Executive Director: The Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) is pleased to announce the selection of Eliot Clay as its new Executive Director. Clay, a seasoned policy leader with deep expertise in agriculture, conservation and environmental issues, brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Clay comes to the AISWCD from the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), where he led their policy agenda on agriculture, conservation and on how natural and working lands are utilized in Illinois. * Chicago Business Journal | Intersect Illinois’ new CEO Christy George unveils her 2025 goals: Among the things Intersect Illinois, a statewide economic development organization, seeks to do next year is recruit more businesses to the state and help local businesses expand their footprint. Those are some of the goals Christy George, Intersect’s president and CEO, said she hopes to achieve after being hired in November to head up the nonprofit. * Pantagraph | Illinois Farm Bureau launches beer collaboration with Destihl: Illinois Farm Bureau, originally known as the Illinois Agricultural Association, calls Roots Lager a toast to the hard-working family farmers across Illinois “who feed our communities and protect our environment, the organization said in a news release. “We are always looking for fun, innovative ways to tell people about the value of an Illinois Farm Bureau membership,” said IFB President Brian Duncan in a statement. “Illinois Farm Bureau gives its members an advantage through impactful advocacy, trusted information and meaningful development to support their careers and Illinois farm families.” * Chalkbeat Chicago | Mayor Johnson announces 10 of 11 appointees for new Chicago Board of Education: Mayor Brandon Johnson picked 10 of 11 people Monday to round out the city’s new half-elected, half-appointed school board — including some who ran unsuccessfully in Chicago’s first school board elections this November. The new board will be sworn in Jan. 15, 2025, and will include 10 people who won in November. State law required the mayor choose the other 11 people, including a board president, by Monday. * Sun-Times | Mayor appoints new members to fill CPS school board: Johnson’s 11 appointees are led by new school board president Sean Harden, a consulting executive who worked as an executive assistant to former Mayor Richard M. Daley in the mid 2000s, then for CPS as deputy CEO for community affairs from 2009 to 2011 under then-schools chief Ron Huberman. Since then, he has been involved in real estate development, community revitalization and workforce development organizations. * Block Club | CPS Shares Plan To Keep Open 5 Of 7 Acero Charter Schools Due To Close: The district’s recommendation came after nearly two-and-a-half hours of public comment at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, as teachers and families pleaded with the district to help save the seven campuses. * Crain’s | Columbia College launches layoffs, course restructuring as deficit looms: Columbia College Chicago’s board of trustees today approved a plan to restructure the school’s course offerings, which will include elimination of up to 25 full-time faculty positions and some programs and offerings, as the school tries to close a $34 million deficit it recorded in fiscal year 2024. * Crain’s | Harris Poll: Chicagoans don’t want to pay more taxes or have services cut: Taxes and fees topped Cook County residents’ list of policy concerns in our poll, with 66% citing the issue — that even beat public safety, which only 55% named. The two issues were virtually tied among city dwellers specifically (with 66% citing public safety, and 65% citing taxes and fees), but that only underscores the extent to which it is at the front of public consciousness. * Tribune | Chicago Stars and Sky make the case for equality and ‘drive toward change’ in a stadium public funding bill hearing: Chicago Stars President Karen Leetzow wants to further the conversation and education about equity in women’s sports. As the Stars navigate building a training center and venue, Leetzow and other key figures within the Chicago women’s soccer and basketball scene finally had an opportunity to address equality in public funding to Illinois state representatives. * Sun-Times | Bears keep heading south in NFC North as Vikings blast them 30-12: The Bears dropped their eighth consecutive game Monday night — this time predictably getting trucked 30-12 by the Vikings in a nationally televised game — to tie the second-longest losing streak in franchise history. When they fell behind 27-6 with 10 minutes left, Williams had completed 14 of 23 passes for 157 yards with no touchdowns for an 81.3 passer rating. The Bears (4-10) have a ton of problems, but they’re not going anywhere with him playing like that. * WTTW | Start Sharpening Your Puns, Chicago. Annual ‘Name a Snowplow’ Contest Is Now Underway: Submissions — limited to 50 characters or less — are due by Jan. 4 or whenever entries hit 20,000, whichever comes first. (Click here * Block Club | Christkindlmarket Is The Most Overcrowded Holiday Market In The US, Survey Says: Last year, 1.3 million visitors passed through the Daley Plaza Christkindlmarket, while 480,000 people visited the Wrigley Field Christkindlmarket, according to market organizers. The market had a record-breaking year for attendance in 2023 across its three markets in the Loop, Lakeview and Aurora. * Daily Herald | ‘Matlock’ moment sinks candidate’s Elk Grove Village board bid: Elk Grove Village’s spring village board election will be uncontested after trustee candidate Jacob Glimco was tossed from the ballot Monday for not having enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions. The village electoral board — a rarely-constituted panel composed of Mayor Craig Johnson, Village Clerk Lorrie Murphy and Trustee Chris Prochno — formally invalidated three signatures and sustained one, during a hearing Monday afternoon on fellow first-time candidate Keith Lasken’s objection to Glimco’s nomination. * Sun-Times | Suburban pizzeria owner gets 4 years for largest sales tax evasion in state history, prosecutors say: Cirrincione, 60, pleaded guilty on Nov. 12 to a felony count of continuing a financial criminal enterprise. Prosecutors accused him of failing to report over $104 million in income from a chain of family-owned pizza restaurants and businesses in Chicago and the suburbs. * SJ-R | Crouch: Merit commission part of new hiring process for sheriff’s department: Among the most pertinent hiring changes under Crouch are a sheriff’s merit commission and a mandate that investigators review records in person if an applicant worked at another law enforcement agency. Those changes come as the U.S. Department of Justice last month launched an investigation into the sheriff’s department and other county offices. The offices had to comply in turning over records by Dec. 14. * Herald Whig | Airline reliability key for new EAS provider: Southern Airways Express, the city’s current provider, promised it would expand Quincy’s air traffic from the 10-12,000 passengers it got annually under Cape Air and SkyWest Airlines up to 20,000 annually. Instead, complaints of unreliability that was first attributed to pilot shortages, then weather and mechanical failures and finally fleet shortages reduced traffic to 4,000. * PJ Star | Comedy icon Chevy Chase dines at longtime Peoria steakhouse during visit: Comedy icon Chevy Chase – who starred as Clark Griswold – hopefully enjoyed a meal with fewer mishaps when he and his family visited Jim’s Steakhouse in Downtown Peoria this past weekend. * The Atlantic | The Technology That Actually Runs Our World: In 2024, culture is boring and stale due to the algorithms calling the shots on what gets produced and praised—or so the critics say. The New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka wrote an entire book about how Big Tech has successfully “flattened culture” into a series of facsimile coffee shops and mid-century-modern furniture. The critic Jason Farago argued in The New York Times Magazine that “the plunge through our screens” and “our submission to algorithmic recommendation engines” have created a lack of momentum. Pinning the blame on new inventions isn’t a fresh argument either: In a 1923 essay, Aldous Huxley pointed to the ease of cultural production, driven by a growing middle-class desire for entertainment, as a major culprit for why mass-market books, movies, and music were so unsatisfying.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here to help LSSI bring Holiday joy to children in foster care. You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller Our LSSI fundraiser is active! So far we’ve raised over $32,000! Thank you to all those who donated! But there’s so much more Holiday joy to spread, so please give if you’re able.
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Let’s build on this wave of kindness
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller Wow! What an incredible day so far. We started off with just over $26,000 in donations, and as of 4 PM, we’ve hit just over $31,000 for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for foster kids—that’s amazing progress! A heartfelt thank you to all our donors. A special shoutout to one incredibly generous donor who gave $3,000—thank you so much for your kindness! Your support is making a huge difference. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised enough to provide 1,272 children in foster care with a Christmas gift. But here’s the thing—LSSI serves nearly twice that many kids. We need your help to ensure every child in foster care feels the joy and normalcy they deserve this holiday season. Click here to contribute today. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you!!
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Don’t forget about LSSI’s annual Christmas toy drive! We’ve raised $28,535 so far, enough to buy 1,141 gifts for the children served by LSSI. That’s amazing—but with 2,530 kids counting on us, we’re not done yet. Click here to donate.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker calls for crackdown on delta-8, but hemp entrepreneurs decry ban: ‘We’re not the bad guys’: The bill sponsored by state Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Hillside, would limit sales of most hemp-derived products to licensed cannabis dispensaries. The goal is keeping psychoactive products packaged like candy away from kids. But merchants of other hemp products worry it would criminalize a massive Illinois industry. * The Journalist’s Resource | Pharmacy benefit managers: What journalists need to know about the prescription drug middleman industry: What’s drawing widespread criticism and concern about PBMs are the strategies they employ to maximize the profit they can make as middlemen, as well as their dominance in the marketplace. Consumers can benefit from lower prices of medicines. But PBMs themselves can benefit more than consumers do in cases where drugmakers start their negotiations with a high initial offer, or list price. PBMs then, eventually, whittle down the actual payment, often by getting pharmaceutical companies to give back some of the money through payments known as rebates. It’s unclear how much of the rebated funds flow back to health plans this way and how much is kept by the PBMs. * Sun-Times | Affordable housing advocates demand action on vacant CHA properties during Las Posadas rally in Logan Square: The demonstration was part of a reenactment of Las Posadas, a 400-year-old Christian tradition of a dayslong prayer that recreates the story of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter before Jesus was born. The annual protests at Lathrop Homes started in 2013 but have extended over the years to other CHA properties like the one held Saturday in Logan Square. * Block Club | Citing Trump, CTU Cranks Up Pressure On School District To Settle Contract Before 2025: During nearly two-and-a-half hours of public comment during Thursday’s Board of Education meeting that sometimes featured boos and chants, several union members and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates called for a swift deal. The union also held a rally before the meeting to argue that although the district approved a resolution reaffirming its welcoming status to immigrants, Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans made it crucial to settle the contract and avoid disruptions to students and families. * Sun-Times | Commanders’ win over Saints eliminates Bears from NFL playoff picture: They are 4-9 and have four games remaining. The best they can finish is 8-9, and in that case they would still be unable to catch any of the current wild-card teams, and the Lions lead the NFC North at 12-1. The Bears’ place in the standings is much more significant as it pertains to the NFL Draft. At 4-9, they went into Sunday holding the No. 9 pick and still had a shot at the No. 1 spot. There were two 2-11 teams (the Raiders and Giants) and six that were 3-10. * Block Club | In New Holiday Rom-com ‘Christmas In Chicago,’ Lincoln Square Is The Star: When she decides to return home for the weekend, much is made of her elaborate efforts to get on the CTA. But she eventually rides the train to the Western Avenue Brown Line stop, where she has an encounter with a handsome stranger who turns out to be local alderman Austin Ward (Michael Copon), before she heads to her family’s business: Timeless Toys, 4749 N. Lincoln Ave. * Tribune | Lake Michigan experiences warmest November in 30 years as climate change heats up the Great Lakes: Lake Michigan surface temperatures peaked at over 6 degrees above normal last month, the warmest they have been in November since 1995 when recordkeeping began at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the first two weeks of December, daily lake temperatures hovered 2 to 4 degrees above the historical average. * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan-area officials hail Supreme Court coal-ash ruling: ‘The cleanup that our public deserves’: Dulce Ortiz, a co-founder of Clean Power Lake County and a Waukegan Township trustee, said Friday she is happy with the Supreme Court decision and hopes it will lead to the removal of legacy coal ash from the NRG property. “I’m wonderfully surprised by the decision,” Ortiz said. “The corporation has used loophole after loophole, and it has still not cleaned up its mess. I’m pleased the Supreme Court allowed the rule to stay in place. It was good news.” * Daily Herald | Why suburbs might ‘see’ a difference in Lake Michigan water from Chicago: A change in the city’s water treatment process that began last week should ultimately result in a long-term benefit to consumers, but could cause a temporary “discoloration” of water, authorities say. Chicago water department officials said there is a slim chance of seeing the discoloration, which most likely will appear as cloudiness. They also emphasize there will be no change in water quality. It remains safe to drink, bathe in and cook with. * NBC Chicago | New documentary explores controversy surrounding Dolton ‘Super Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard: “Super Mayor: The Cost of Chaos in Dolton,” an hour-long documentary from NBC Chicago, dives into Henyard’s rise to power and the controversy that has since unraveled around her. For over a year, NBC Chicago reporter Regina Waldroup has been following the events that have unfolded in Dolton and Thornton Township. She has embedded herself in the community by attending board meetings, speaking with residents and seeking answers to their most pressing questions. * WGN | Tiffany Henyard’s power struggle takes a twist: South suburban politician Tiffany Henyard’s struggle to stay in power took a strange turn in recent days when her attorney filed – and then quickly dropped – a lawsuit claiming she was illegally blocked from participating in democratic caucus slating meeting. “I am shocked by the politics of it all,” Henyard attorney Max Solomon told WGN Investigates Monday morning. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County officials vow not to help any mass deportation efforts: ‘We want everyone in our community to trust in that’: As undocumented Lake County residents and their families begin to worry about deportations promised by President-elect Donald Trump, some local officials are pledging not to be part of the effort. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said the Illinois Trust Act prevents law enforcement agencies within the state from assisting with the application of federal law, including immigration regulations. * WICS | Family of Sonya Massey relieved as court keeps ex-deputy jailed: Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci issued the following statement after the Illinois Supreme Court denied former deputy Sean Grayson’s pretrial release, ensuring that he remains jailed. This comes after the Illinois Appellate Court ruled that Grayson be released with conditions in November, saying that the State did not have enough evidence to prove that Grayson was a danger to the community if he were to be released. * 25News Now | Hundreds of non-tenure track teachers approve 3-year contract with Illinois State University: A release from the ISU Education Association said members ratified the contract on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Terms of the deal have not been released, but the union said the agreement covers compensation, assignment of duties, and other issues related to working conditions. Salary and sick leave benefits were key issues, according to the union, which represents 500 full-and-part-time non-tenure track instructors. * SJ-R | Here’s why two UIS Performing Arts Center venues will temporarily close in 2025: The Sangamon Auditorium and the UIS Studio Theatre, housed within the University of Illinois Springfield’s Public Affairs Center, will be closing in June of 2025 for work to modernize the building’s plumbing system. The work is estimated to take a year and three months, and the Performing Arts Center plans to reopen in September 2026. * WCIA | Danville accepting submissions to beautify City: Danville’s new public art initiative is now accepting submissions from designers. The “Angel Alley” project was created to “increase foot traffic, elevate the cultural landscape, and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the area,” according to the City. Both artists and graphic designers are invited to submit their ideas. * The Southern | Poshard Foundation brings holiday joy to over 700 kids: The Poshard Foundation’s annual Christmas toy giveaway brought together volunteers and caseworkers who worked hard to provide gifts for over 700 children across Southern Illinois this holiday season. The event, held Tuesday and again on Wednesday at John A. Logan College, marks the foundation’s 25th anniversary, aimed to support abused, abandoned and neglected children who might otherwise go without. * NPR | How are states spending their opioid settlement cash? Look yours up in this database: States allotted, on average, about 18% of their funds for addiction and mental health treatment; 14% for recovery services such as housing, transportation, and legal aid; 11% for harm reduction efforts such as overdose reversal medications; and 9% for prevention programs that aim to stop people from developing substance use disorders. States committed, on average, about 2% for syringe service programs, through which people can get sterile needles. (A variety of entities received this money, from law enforcement to nonprofit organizations to government agencies.) * NYT | Automakers Thrived in the Pandemic. Many Are Now Struggling: A few years ago, automakers were celebrating record profits as the pandemic created shortages of new cars, allowing them to raise prices. Now the hangover is setting in. Nissan, the Japanese automaker, is laying off 9,000 employees. Volkswagen is considering closing factories in Germany for the first time. The chief executive of the U.S. and European automaker Stellantis, which owns Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat and other brands, quit after sales tumbled. Even luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are struggling. * BND | IL congressman eyes modernizing Veterans Affairs department as House committee chairman: Illinois Congressman Mike Bost — who was recently elected for a second two-year term as chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs — said he wants to focus on modernizing the department and improving veterans’ health. Bost, a Marine veteran who comes from a long line of military members, said he’d like to cut back on the hoops veterans need to jump through to access their benefits. “We’ve got to modernize the VA to make sure that the VA isn’t created just for the VA,” said Bost, R-Murphysboro. “It’s created for the veterans.” * Newsweek | More Americans Are Taking the Train Than Ever: Amtrak set its all-time ridership record for a fiscal year in December, surpassing 32.8 million passengers, an increase of 15 percent from 2023. Amtrak’s ticket revenue reached $2.5 billion, a 9 percent increase year-over-year, and also the highest in its history. Board Chair Tony Coscia credited the ridership growth to several factors, saying in a statement that it “reflects not only the need for train travel in America but also the impact of strategic investments that support our long-term vision.
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Roundup: Ex-aide testifies Madigan ally’s AT&T contract was ‘kind of a joke’
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Madigan’s attorney Todd Pugh on cross… 
* More… * Tribune | With prosecutors set to rest in Madigan corruption trial, tapes will help jury take measure of the man: Jurors have seen the powerful House Speaker and Democratic Party leader at his shrewdest and most calculating: coldly green-lighting the ouster of an longtime House ally to deflect a growing sexual harassment scandal; subtly using the power of his office to vie for private legal business; and allegedly conspiring with his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to steer hundreds of thousands of dollars in do-nothing consulting contracts to a cadre of loyalists. * AP | Secretly recorded videos are backbone of corruption trial for longest-serving legislative leader: In one 2014 meeting secretly recorded by a businessman also working undercover, a City Council member introduced Madigan to hotel developers for a Chinatown project. Madigan pitched his firm’s business. “We’re not interested in a quick killing here. We’re interested in a long-term relationship,” Madigan said. “In terms of the quality of representation that you get from this law firm, we don’t take a second seat to anybody. “ * CBS Chicago | Reporter Ray Long on Madigan trial ending: Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long joined Dana Kozlov as the Madigan trial comes to an end.
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Another piece of the economic puzzle: Professional licensing reform
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. The full task force report is here. We’ve been talking lately about Illinois’ almost non-existent employment growth since October of 2019. It’s a tenth of the national growth rate. Here are Noah Bazis and Daryl James writing in Crain’s…
* The bottom line is that Illinois licenses too many occupations…
* The task force is proposing an inverted pyramid with licensing as a last resort…  * A few of their ideas…
They also want any changes apply to local governments and preempt home rule. Those are just some of their ideas. Click here for the rest.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Janet, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Today’s must-read
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Pearson…
Go read the rest. Lots of stuff in there. * To add a bit to the above story, Trump received 20.56% of the vote in Chicago this year. The last time a statewide Republican received more than 20 percent in Chicago was in 2014, when Bruce Rauner defeated Gov. Pat Quinn. This year’s result received a lot of attention, but Rauner received 20.63%, which was slightly ahead of Trump’s percent. Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka took 25 percent in the city that year. So, why did Trump not do nearly as well as Rauner statewide? Trump got thumped in the suburbs. Rauner received 45 percent of suburban Cook County’s vote in 2014, while Trump got 35.7 percent this year (a three-point increase from 2020). Trump lost DuPage County by 13 points, Rauner won the county by 37 points. Four years later, Rauner lost the county to JB Pritzker by two points. Pritzker won it in 2022 by 15 points. The only way for Republicans to reverse their statewide problem is by winning some suburban counties. …Adding… I posted this in comments, but it’s something else to keep in mind…
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Pritzker on potential pension reform
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGEM…
* HB5909‘s synopsis…
* The governor was asked about the bill Thursday…
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Groups eyeing state cash stashes may be disappointed
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Break up these transit fiefdoms, please
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * But if you listen to Metra, no reforms are needed. Marni Pyke at the Daily Herald…
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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * There were some slim pickings in Friday’s awards contest. Senate topics aren’t usually very popular here, but we’ll make do. The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic Illinois State Senator goes to Sen. Patrick Joyce…
* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican Illinois State Senator goes to Senate Republican Leader John Curran…
* Today’s categories…
Best In-House Lobbyist As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. * Out of the blue, I called someone on Friday who had just donated a significant amount of money to help buy Christmas presents for foster kids. I’ve known the guy for years and told him I was curious, without being in the least judgmental, why he waited almost two weeks to contribute. He said he’s a natural procrastinator and would think about donating, and then would get distracted by other things. I asked whether our numerous daily reminders were helpful and he said they definitely were. A reminder could catch him at a moment when he had the time and focus to click the link and contribute. So, hopefully, now is the time when a reminder to help Lutheran Social Services by Christmas presents for foster kids prompts you to donate. Please, click here. Thanks.
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Open thread
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?… We’ve raised over $25,000 so far—thank you! But there’s more to do! Every donation helps bring hope to families this season. Click here to give today! * This holiday classic always puts me in the spirit—hope it does the same for you…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already raised over $26,000—a huge step toward making this holiday season brighter for those in need. But we’re not done yet! There’s still so much joy to share, and your support can make a difference. Every gift helps spread love, hope, and care to families served by LSSI. * Daily Herald | Metra stays mum on pricey probe of police misconduct allegations: Facing troubling allegations including misconduct, racism, promiscuity and cronyism at the Metra Police Department, leaders authorized an investigation that ended up costing about $1.57 million. But the agency has stayed silent about what a small army of attorneys uncovered after spending months scrutinizing the department, which underwent major reforms a decade ago. * Tribune | In Downers Grove, whether to elect library board exposes old political rifts: Two years after the Downers Grove library was forced to cancel a planned drag queen bingo over right-wing threats, leaders of the western suburb are considering a controversial proposal to replace the appointed members of the library board with an elected one. “This will tear our community apart for no reason,” warned resident Debbie Anderson Phillips at a recent emotionally charged library board meeting. “It will be an ugly, ugly, ugly fight.” * Capitol City Now | Helping women in prison: “When you incarcerate a woman, you incarcerate the whole family.” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton says that’s what an inmate told her during a recent series of women’s prison tours. Stratton, along with Illinois First Lady MK Pritzker, want to improve conditions for women in prison, expand opportunities for them when they are released, and even try to keep them from becoming entangled in the system in the first place. * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker calls for lawmakers to crack down on intoxicating hemp sales: The governor came out Friday in support of legislation that would set a minimum age of 21 to buy such products. It would require hemp companies to obtain licenses and test and label their products, similar to the requirements for legal marijuana. And it would ban copycat packaging that looks like common candy or snack brands. * WBBM | Illinois state insect heading towards threatened species status: Curator of entomology at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Allen Lawrance says this was a bad year for monarch butterflies but points out they see big population swings from year to year. “It was another bad year for monarchs. So we’ve had a couple bad years in a row,” Notebaert said. * Tribune | Intentionally weak government oversight gives Illinois public officials cover for corruption: Carol Pope lasted only about two years as the Illinois General Assembly’s inspector general before quitting in frustration. When Pope, whose job was to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by legislators and their staffers, asked for more autonomy amid a burgeoning corruption scandal in the legislature, lawmakers instead passed a law limiting her powers. The legislative inspector general “has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations,” Pope, a former state prosecutor and judge, wrote in a scathing resignation letter in 2021. “The position is essentially a paper tiger.” * CBS Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson abandoning $68.5 million property tax hike in latest bid for budget deal: The move comes as the mayor and aldermen have been spending the weekend working to negotiate a possible deal to end the budget impasse in time for a vote on Monday afternoon. The mayor’s team was holding briefings with alders on Sunday to discuss his latest plan. Sources said one new element of the effort to pass a budget deal on Monday includes the city cracking down on major sports teams and other venues in Chicago to reimburse the city for police overtime costs for special events. That would bring in an estimated $10 million for the city. * Tribune | Plans to overhaul Chicago Union Station could take a step forward in 2025, but more money is needed: Long-running plans to revamp Chicago’s Union Station are poised to take a step forward in 2025, as Amtrak prepares to begin modernizing and boosting capacity at the commuter and intercity rail hub. But the construction marks only one step of Amtrak’s plans to overhaul parts of the station. The railroad, which owns Union Station, still needs to line up more funding for the rest of the work, a prospect that could face questions with a new presidential administration set to take office. * AP | As Chicago Public School cut back on bus service, parents are turning to rideshare apps: Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest district, has significantly curbed bus service in recent years. It still offers rides for disabled and homeless students, in line with a federal mandate, but most families are on their own. Only 17,000 of the district’s 325,000 students are eligible for school bus rides. * Block Club | The Good Wolf, From Little Bad Wolf Team, Offers ‘Refined’ Dining In Andersonville: The Good Wolf, 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., brings “a more refined atmosphere, featuring high-end cocktails [and] an elevated shared plate menu” to the bustling Clark Street corridor, according to a statement from the restaurant. The menu includes small plates like cheese curds ($12), oysters ($4 each), carbonara ($17), Shrimp De Jonghe ($20) and Beef Wellington ($40). * ABC Chicago | Spirit of Progress statue removed from fmr. Montogomery Ward building for repairs: The Spirit of Progress has been atop the former Montgomery Ward Administration Building since 1929 near the North Branch of the Chicago River. The building is now a condominium and the homeowner’s association is paying for the work to preserve the statue. They hope to have the Spirit of Progress, also known as Diana, to reinstalled next spring or summer. * Crain’s | East Coast investor spends $104M on two suburban shopping centers: Connecticut-based Hutensky Capital Partners paid $63.3 million for Bloomingdale Plaza, a 486,000-square-foot property in the DuPage County suburb, and $40.5 million for Lake View Plaza, a 359,000-square-foot retail center in Orland Park, according to property records and an announcement from real estate brokerage CBRE. * WBEZ | Here are more than a dozen ways Cook County’s property tax system could be more fair: A common theme theme in the study is that communication between county Assessor Fritz Kaegi and the county Board of Review needs to improve. These two key county agencies help determine the fate of how much commercial property owners pay in taxes and how that burden shifts to struggling homeowners. Researchers found there’s a big gap in how much data these two agencies share to figure out how much a property is worth, leading to wild fluctuations in how much everyone in Cook County pays in taxes. * Daily Herald | Donations pour in to ‘save lives,’ fund winter shelter for DuPage County’s homeless: DuPagePads has a street outreach team to check on people experiencing homelessness and help get them into a safe place to stay. Usually, there are around 20 to 25 people in that program. But in October, with cold weather approaching, the number “went way up,” reaching 103 at one point, DuPagePads President and CEO April Redzic said. * Daily Herald | ‘A resilient nation’: Leaders stress importance of community at MLK Dinner: Organized by the Arlington Heights-based Illinois Commission on Diversity & Human Relations, the event in Palatine featured Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch as keynote speaker. “To me, a community is really about creating a sense of belonging,” he said. “That we’re a part of something larger than ourselves. The need for community is deeply rooted in our biology.” * Sun-Times | Cook County official tried to ‘escape’ after alleged DUI crash in Andersonville, 911 caller said: The 911 caller and his partner told the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ that Samantha Steele, a Democratic member of the Cook County Board of Review, tried to flee the scene of the Nov. 11 crash before police arrived — but her car was too damaged to drive. * WSIL | Senator Duckworth meets with transportation leaders in southern Illinois, secures funding for SI Airport: Duckworth met with Southern Illinois Airport Director Gary Shafer and secured $500,000 in federal funding recently for the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center. Duckworth toured the facility with SIU Chancellor Dr. Austin Lane and former U.S. Representative Glenn Poshard. * Shawlocal | Oglesby voters to decide on change in city government on April ballot: A proposed change to Oglesby’s city government was given the go-ahead Thursday to be on the April ballot after a referendum petition was determined to have met requirements. During a hearing at the La Salle County Courthouse in Ottawa, Circuit Judge Jason A. Helland approved a petition that many Oglesby residents signed to seek a structural change in city government, opening the opportunity for the Oglesby City Council to hire a city manager to oversee its departments. * NYT | Exxon Plans to Sell Electricity to Data Centers: The country’s largest oil company is designing a natural gas power plant outfitted with carbon capture technology to meet the voracious power demand of technology companies. * EEF | New Email Scam Includes Pictures of Your House. Don’t Fall For It: Contrary to the claims in your email, you probably haven’t been hacked (or at least, that’s not what prompted that email). This is merely a new variation on an old scam —actually, a whole category of scams called “sextortion.” This is a type of online phishing that is targeting people around the world and preying on digital-age fears. It generally uses publicly available information or information from data breaches, not information obtained from hacking the recipients of the emails specifically, and therefore it is very unlikely the sender has any “incriminating” photos or has actually hacked your accounts or devices. * The Atlantic | The Ozempic Flip-Flop: West Virginia gave obesity drugs to teachers and state employees—then took them away: In March, the state’s Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) decided it could no longer bear the crushing costs of Wegovy and Zepbound. (These obesity drugs are sometimes better known by the brand names Ozempic and Mounjaro, respectively, which is how they are sold for diabetes.) In the months after, PEIA patients began running out of medication. They rationed their remaining supplies, stretching the weekly injections to 10 days, two weeks, even three weeks. They considered copycat compounded versions. One woman began sharing her diabetic mother’s Ozempic.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here to help LSSI bring Holiday joy to children in foster care. You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Dec 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller Our LSSI fundraiser is active! So far we’ve raised over $25,000! Thank you to all those who donated! But there’s so much more Holiday joy to spread, so please give if you’re able.
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