* Friday news dump press release…
Gov. Pritzker Takes Bill Action
Today, Governor JB Pritzker took the following bill action:
Bill Number: SB3268
Description: Annual Medicaid Omnibus. Contains rate increases for various healthcare services, professions, and facilities.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB4582
Description: Bond Authorization Act of 2024. Increases bonding authority for General Obligation Bonds, Build Illinois Bonds and bonds issued by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Action: Signed
Effective: July 1, 2024
Bill Number: HB4951
Description: 2024 Revenue Omnibus
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately, with some provisions taking effect July 1, 2024, January 1, 2025, and July 1, 2025.
The revenue omnibus contains tax hikes, continuing a tax hike that was supposed to expire and, among other things, this…
Under a measure championed by State Senator Omar Aquino, working parents in Illinois will be able to claim a state-level child tax credit on their income taxes starting next year.
“Parents shouldn’t have to struggle to provide basic necessities to their children,” said Aquino (D-Chicago). “The child tax credit will help families put money toward things that are becoming even less affordable – like groceries and school supplies – during these inflationary times. The rising cost of living makes it even more vital to get this economic relief to folks who need it.”
House Bill 4951 – the Fiscal Year 2025 revenue package – includes $50 million for a new statewide child tax credit, something Aquino has been fighting for over the past several years. Beginning next year, parents eligible for the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit with at least one child under age 12 will receive the child tax credit – equal to 20% of the state’s EITC in 2025 and 40% of the EITC in 2026.
Analyses of the 2021 expansion of the federal child tax credit found that the benefit reached the most working families in U.S. history. In Illinois, the expansion is credited with reducing child poverty rates by over 45%.
The state child tax credit is a continuation of Aquino’s work getting money back into working families’ pockets to make a real impact on their lives. In 2022, he led the expansion of the Illinois EITC so the benefit includes new groups not previously covered – young adults, people over age 65 and filers utilizing an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Because the new measure is tied to Illinois EITC eligibility, these individuals will also qualify for the state child tax credit if they have children under 12.
“This additional help will provide meaningful financial relief for families while giving a boost to local economies,” Aquino said. “Study after study shows working parents who benefit from the child tax credit spend up to 80% of it immediately on goods and services in their local community. I’m proud of what we’ve done for families across the 2nd District and in Illinois with this measure.”
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* Ralph Martire…
Of the $53.1 billion in total expenditures for FY 2025, roughly $15.1 billion, or 28.4%, cover “hard costs” the state has to pay, because they’re either required by law, such as debt service owed to bondholders, or contractual obligations, like health insurance for state workers. Since these expenditures are legally required, they’d be in the budget irrespective of the party in power.
The remaining $38 billion funds current services for the year. In FY 2025, 94% of current service expenditures are targeted to the four core areas of education, health care, social services and public safety. Those priorities seem right, especially when you consider that Illinois has historically devoted a similar percentage of current service expenditures to those same four core areas, whether Republicans or Democrats controlled Springfield. This doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate differences of opinion between — and even within — the parties about specific lines in the budget, but rather highlights the fact that the data show there’s broad consensus across ideological lines about what the priorities should be. […]
Indeed, at the end of FY 2025, spending on the four core services will still be about 10% less in real, inflation-adjusted terms than it was almost a quarter-century earlier in FY 2000 — under Republican Governor George Ryan.
A big part of the reason for the spending discrepancy is that pensions were horribly under-funded in those days. During the upcoming fiscal year, mandated pension payments will be 19 percent of General Funds spending. Manageable, but way higher than it was in the old days, when pension funding was barely an after-thought.
Whoever is elected governor in 22 years - after the pensions are fully funded - is gonna party like it’s 1999. Literally.
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Mendick’s eephus
Friday, Jun 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This may turn out to be the high point of the entire White Sox season…
* From MLB.com…
Definition
The eephus is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, and it is known for its exceptionally low speed and ability to catch a hitter off guard.
Typically, an eephus is thrown very high in the air, resembling the trajectory of a slow-pitch softball pitch. Hitters, expecting a fastball that’s nearly twice the velocity of the eephus, can get over-zealous and swing too early and hard. But for a hitter who is able to keep his weight back and put a normal swing on the pitch, it is the easiest pitch to hit in baseball — one without unexpected movement or excessive velocity.
Origin
Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell was the first pitcher to throw the eephus pitch regularly — although, at the time, the pitch hadn’t yet been named. Sewell’s teammate Maurice Van Robays took care of that. He concocted the name “eephus” and when asked why, he responded by saying, “Eephus ain’t nothing, and that’s a nothing pitch.” In Hebrew, the word “efes” can be loosely translated into “nothing,” and the word “eephus” undoubtedly stems from that.
Zack Greinke is famous for surprising hitters with an eephus on occasion, one of the only modern-day pitchers to use the eephus pitch with any frequency.
Mendick threw seven eephuses (eephi?) out of 15 pitches yesterday.
Feel free to use this post as an Illinois sports open thread.
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* Mack Liederman at Block Club Chicago…
A group of alderpeople want the state to pump the brakes on plans to redesign DuSable Lake Shore Drive and instead find ways to prioritize public transit on the city’s most famous road.
Fourteen alderpeople have signed a letter to Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman and Chicago Department of Transportation President Tom Carney, asking the state to “halt” its Redefine the Drive project, which calls for redesigning and rebuilding DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Grand to Hollywood avenues on the North Side.
A final design for the decade-plus project has yet to be determined. Roadway configurations were released by the state in 2022, with two of five possible designs calling for bus-only lanes.
But each of the proposals would maintain the Drive as as “an urban highway without significant mass transit elements,” alderpeople said in the letter.
The 14 alderpeople, in partnership with transit advocacy group Bike Grid Now, want the proposals scrapped in favor of a new one centered around bus-rapid transit, including bus-only lanes or a light rail system along the lakefront. […]
Those who signed the letter include Alds. Daniel La Spata (1st), Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Ruth Cruz (30th), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), Andre Vasquez (40th), Brendan Reilly (42nd), Timmy Knudsen (43rd), Bennett Lawson (44th), Angela Clay (46th), Matt Martin (47th), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th), Maria Hadden (49th) and Debra Silverstein (50th).
* This House resolution passed unanimously last month…
Urges CDOT and IDOT to transform Du Sable Lake Shore Drive into a true boulevard and to be creative and forward-thinking in their redesign of Du Sable Lake Shore Drive, to incorporate safe and efficient multimodal transportation throughout Du Sable Lake Shore Drive for pedestrians, cyclists, public transit users, and drivers, to emphasize green urban mobility, to ensure that any proposed changes are considered as part of a comprehensive plan for efficient traffic management and movement of people, including during special events and weather challenges, to create more green space and recreational opportunities for Chicagoans, as well as visitors, and to repurpose, where possible, existing infrastructure as part of expanded recreational opportunities.
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* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker, alongside state economic development leaders, will embark on a trade mission to Canada from June 10 to June 13. During the trip, the Governor will participate in the 2024 U.S.-Canada Summit and meet with key government leaders as well as business leaders in quantum, finance, electric vehicles (EVs), technology, and other growing sectors.
“For generations, the people of Canada and the people of Illinois have been connected in more ways than one,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As each of our economies grow and evolve, we have remained reliable partners to one another. Over the coming years, Illinois will work to build out the industries of the future – electric vehicles, quantum computing, nanotechnology – and will forge greater bonds with forward-thinking governments and businesses such as these to truly unleash our shared potential.”
As part of the trade mission, Governor Pritzker will provide a keynote address at the 2024 U.S.-Canada Summit which is hosted by BMO and the Eurasia Group. The Summit will bring together senior decision-makers from across the U.S. and Canada to promote and discuss joint opportunities in trade, tech innovation, energy, and the environment.
“Through this trade mission, the State of Illinois will build upon its storied history of collaboration with Canadian businesses and economic leaders,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Kristin Richards. “As one of Illinois’ greatest economic partners, we look forward to strengthening our connections as we grow economic opportunities in key sectors.”
In addition to participating in the U.S.-Canada Summit, the Governor will visit and participate in various meetings and roundtables, including a visit to MaRS Discovery District, which is North America’s largest urban innovation hub, to discuss opportunities to collaborate on quantum and promote Illinois’ start up and innovation landscape.
“As Canadian companies look at where to invest and grow, we want to show them that in Illinois they’ll find the workforce, infrastructure, ecosystem of like-minded companies, and support they need to thrive,” said Intersect Illinois Board Chairman John Atkinson. “We look forward to coming back from this trade mission with even stronger relationships that will help facilitate investment in Illinois.”
After the Summit and various business meetings and roundtables in Toronto, the delegation will head to Montreal where the Governor will participate in a fireside chat at the Conference De’ Montreal. While in Montreal, the delegation will tour Lion Electric, whose Joliet facility is considered the largest all-electric U.S. manufacturing facility dedicated to medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle production.
Exports and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) play a critical role in Illinois’ economy. Canada is Illinois’ top trading partner, with over $92 billion in bilateral trade in 2022, with Illinois exports increasing 30% between 2021 and 2022. Top exports include transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals and food and kindred products. Canada is Illinois’ 4th largest FDI market based on employment, with more than 370 Canadian companies located in Illinois, including BMO, McCain Foods and Lion Electric. Canadian companies employ approximately 32,000 Illinoisans in the state.
Illinois has experienced tremendous economic success over the past year, attracting nearly $5 billion in company investments through incentive programs alone, and has been named the number two state in the nation for corporate expansions and relocations by Site Selection Magazine. Illinois was also ranked by CBNC as one of the Top States for Business and continues to attract companies looking to call the state home. Over the past several years, Illinois has launched new business attraction incentives while making improvements to its existing suite.
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* This is definitely not a good look and will undoubtedly generate a kabillion clicks and hot takes…
But some might be surprised at how much the mayor spends on personal grooming, for which he pays with money contributed by political supporters to his Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund: More than $30,000 in the past year, according to elections board records.
Nearly all the money went to makeup artist and self-described “skincare enthusiast” Denise Milloy’s Makeup Majic, which is based in a home on the South Side. More than 30 payments were reported going to her in 2023 and 2024, records show.
The payments prior to Johnson’s 2023 election listed various descriptions including:
• “Candidate makeup for TV.”
• “Candidate makeup for debate.”
• “Candidate makeup.”
• “Makeup retainer.”
After Johnson took office last year, the payments to Makeup Majic have been explained only as “event expenses.”
* This allegation, however, could very well turn out to be illegal, even though it was buried at the end of an NBC5 story…
Questions are also being raised about [Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard] using taxpayer dollars for personal expenses, including her personal make-up artist.
An itemized payroll sheet for the township sent to NBC Chicago from May of last year lists Brandon Momon as an administrative assistant, but when we reached out to him, he told us he’s Henyard’s make-up artist.
“It is just once again a long series of things done incorrectly – or possibly illegally,” said Chris Gonzalez, a Thornton Township trustee.
NBC Chicago reached out to Henyard’s administration for comment but did not hear back.
Wow.
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