Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces Illinois residents can now apply online to become a notary public.

The new program starts August 1 and is part of the new Electronic Notary System launched by the Secretary of State’s office to modernize the application system.

“Modernizing the notary process in Illinois has made it easier for customers who want to notarize documents without having to leave their home, but we’ve also streamlined the process for prospective notaries and those renewing,” Giannoulias says. “Applicants are no longer required to submit paper forms, eliminating the cumbersome paper-based submission process and reducing processing times.”

Anyone who wants to become a notary or renew their applications must do so online.

* SOS for Alexi Giannoulias…

* JB for Governor…

Today, just over two weeks ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker released a new video spotlighting the progress made in Illinois under his and fellow Democrats’ leadership.

The video highlights major legislative accomplishments achieved since Gov. Pritzker took office in 2019, including protecting access to abortion, creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, banning assault weapons, and getting Illinois back on track after a disastrous Republican administration. It reminds viewers that no matter where they’re from in the country, they can find a place like it here in Illinois and see what progress looks like when Democrats deliver.

“After years of Republican failure, Illinois Democrats have turned our state around, staying focused on the people we serve,” says Gov. JB Pritzker in the video. “You know why? Because Democrats Deliver.”

* Here you go…

* Vice President Kamala Harris is set to announce her VP Tuesday…

little bit of NEWS on the veepstakes: @JBPritzker also had two vetting interviews this week with Harris aides, both virtually, sources tell me

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) August 1, 2024

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago abortion providers brace for new clients seeking care after Iowa ban takes effect: Planned Parenthood clinics have been treating triple the amount of patients from Iowa compared with before the Dobbs decision, the organization told the Sun-Times. The majority of patients from Iowa are visiting clinics in Aurora, Peoria, Springfield and Ottawa. And the nonprofit is now anticipating even more Iowans coming to Illinois for care.

* WBEZ | CPD traffic stops are down this year, but critics say there are still too many: Officers made roughly 130,000 fewer traffic stops from January through July 15 of this year — a more than 40% decrease — compared to the same period in 2023, according to a WBEZ analysis of Chicago Police Department (CPD) data obtained through a records request. The recent decline largely coincides with the start of CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling’s term. Traffic stops have decreased nearly every month since the beginning of his tenure in late September last year.

* Sun-Times | Chicago restaurants are crafting special cocktails for Democratic National Convention: For those in search of more bitter tastes, Malört is currently offering “I Malörted” stickers to anyone brave enough to throw back a shot of the infamous spirit at select bars in Chicago and throughout the U.S. A list of participating establishments can be found at imalorted.com.

* WBEZ | A Chicago orchestra preps for its Lollapalooza debut – with pop star Laufey: Musicians in the Philharmonic got their sheet music two weeks prior, but Wednesday’s rehearsal was the only time they’d practice with their guest star — Icelandic-Chinese pop artist Laufey — before appearing alongside her Friday at Lollapalooza. It’s believed to be the first time an entire orchestra has played the festival. The Philharmonic has played with popular artists before — over the past months they’ve accompanied the Violent Femmes and Tank and the Bangas. But during a designated break in a lounge area behind the Bud Light stage, violinist Eleanor Bartsch said, “Lollapalooza is kind of another animal.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Shaw Local | Will County Clerk Staley Ferry resigns to become Joliet city clerk: Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry is leaving just three months before the general election, creating what will be a new race in November for county clerk. The city of Joliet announced Wednesday that Staley Ferry has been hired as the city clerk. Staley Ferry will leave the county clerk’s office later this month and start with Joliet on Aug. 21, a move that means a $46,000 increase in annual pay.

* Crain’s | Schaumburg’s Loeber family farm is slated for high-density development. Some neighbors aren’t happy.: Development, these neighbors say, is both inevitable and fine with them. Their argument is that Schaumburg officials seem poised to approve something that has nearly four times the density that used to be the village’s stated goal for the site.

* Daily Herald | Check out library books at the park? Two new self-service locations coming to Arlington Heights: The large metal boxes — each containing 30 individual lockers — will be placed this fall at Camelot Park on the north and Heritage Park on the south, under an intergovernmental agreement inked by the library board in July and pending a vote by the park board. The addition of pickup lockers on both sides of town helps “fulfill our goal of reaching outside of our walls and trying to be where our customers are for our services,” said Mike Driskell, the library’s executive director.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | City of Belleville’s new spokesman — its third in eight months — abruptly leaves job: Matthew Allison was the city’s third spokesperson in eight months. The first one quit at the end of November to take another job. The second one was fired in May after 46 days. […] Allison declined an interview but verified via private Facebook message that he no longer worked for the city. When asked this week if Allison had left voluntarily or involuntarily, [Bill Clay, the city’s human resources director] stated, “He did not resign.”

* Illinois Times | Downtown fire sparks calls for action: “A revitalized and resilient downtown” was the No. 1 initiative in The Next 10, A Community Visioning Plan for Greater Springfield released by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln in spring 2021. The report described downtown as “the heart of the community and region, the seat of state and local government, our cultural center and the stage for our living history.” It noted that downtown uses have shifted over the decades and “to act thoughtfully, we must plan and reimagine.”

* WCIA | New Ford County solar farm project passes Zoning Board : A new solar farm seems to have the green light in Ford County — at least from the Zoning Board. Energy had the idea to build a solar farm next to their peaking plant on the outskirts of Gibson City. Wednesday night, with a 5-0 vote, the board recommended the solar project.

* WSIL | SIU gives almost $60K in scholarships from alumni funding: The association gave $59,288 across 46 new and returning students. SIU says the money came from new and legacy donors and will help cover tuition and textbook costs. Recipients live across the map in states including Illinois, Delaware, Florida, Missouri and Texas. […] Not all funding for the scholarships come out of the pockets of alumni, though. SIU says its alumni association hosted fundraising events around the area, including St. Louis and Chicago, that raised $2,500 and $10,000, respectively.

* SJ-R | Fishing tournament, beer school among 5 things to do in Springfield area: he Village of Bath is putting man against fish in this invasive fishing competition. The Redneck Fishing Tournament has two, 2-hour heats in which teams, many in costumes, go out on the water to see how many flying invasive carp they can net out of the air or jump in the boat. Winning teams often collect hundreds of the fish.

*** National ***

* NBC | Johnny Cash statue to be unveiled in U.S. Capitol in September: A statue honoring country music icon Johnny Cash will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol next month, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Thursday. The statue will be the second of an Arkansas native in the Capitol, a news release states. A statue of Daisy Bates, a civil rights leader who headed Arkansas’ chapter of the NAACP and mentored the Black students known as the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High School in 1957, was unveiled in National Statuary Hall on May 8.

* WSJ | Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich: The Russian Federation had a few final items of protocol to tick through with the man who had become its most famous prisoner. One, he would be allowed to leave with the papers he’d penned in detention, the letters he’d scrawled out and the makings of a book he’d labored over. But first, they had another piece of writing they required from him, an official request for presidential clemency. The text, moreover, should be addressed to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The pro forma printout included a long blank space the prisoner could fill out if desired, or simply, as expected, leave blank. In the formal high Russian he had honed over 16 months imprisonment, the Journal’s Russia correspondent filled the page. The last line submitted a proposal of his own: After his release, would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?

* Deadline | Tom Cruise Poised For Olympics Closing Ceremony Stunt: Already a presence at the Opening Ceremony and at some competitions, the Mission: Impossible star will be dropping in — literally — when the Olympic flag is handed over the 2028 games host city, source close to events have told Deadline. Details of the Closing Ceremony are a closely held secret, but it known that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to receive the Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. “Expect a major Hollywood production,” a well-positioned source tells Deadline.

14 Comments

In wake of recent layoffs, Pritzker points at Federal Reserve

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

Lion Electric Co. laid off 300 more people or about a third of its workforce Wednesday as the slow rollout of electric school bus subsidies in the United States and Canada caused a sharp drop in revenue.

Wednesday’s job cuts, announced in a news release, mark the company’s fourth round of layoffs since November. Most of them, officials said, will be temporary. […]

Marie-Eve Labranche, a spokeswoman, declined to say how many Joliet workers were laid off. But on a conference call, Lion Electric officials said they were indefinitely delaying truck production in Joliet, partly over uncertainty around the future of subsidies after the U.S. presidential election. […]

Officials said that delays in government bus subsidies and slower-than-expected adoption of battery-powered freight trucks are prompting the cash crunch.

In a release, the company predicted deliveries will increase in the coming months as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases more subsidies. It’s also working with the Canadian government to expedite the subsidies.

* From Gov. Pritzker’s Q and A yesterday…

Reporter: Over the last year, we’ve seen 1300 layoffs at John Deere, specifically in the Quad Cities…

Pritzker: And elsewhere.

Reporter: Right, but there were other layoffs announced at Jelly Belly recently up in Waukegan. A report yesterday, that Lion Electric has been struggling to get off the ground. How do you rate the state of the US economy broadly right now, and especially just given this is a presidential year, is this a liability for Kamala Harris?

Pritzker: Listen, the Federal Reserve is responsible for where interest rates are right now, and they could lower interest rates. I encourage them to lower interest rates. That will help all these companies and help us grow the economy more than it is already growing.

And as you’ve seen, some companies have struggled. Deere is in an industry that has struggled broadly. The electric car industry hasn’t struggled. It’s growing still, but it’s not growing at the same rate that it was. It will come back. But once again, interest rates are holding them back from making the investments that are necessary. So we’ve got a lot of challenges. They’re going to face the US economy. But I must say, broadly, I think that given all the challenges and circumstances that were inherited by Joe Biden when he took over from Donald Trump, who, by the way, lost us millions of jobs, and now we’ve gained almost 16 million jobs under Joe Biden. It seems like President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, have done an amazing job. Now, there’s more work to do. We all want to grow more and more jobs every year. I think Kamala Harris is the right person to do it.

Reporter: Is there anything you can do on John Deere? I mean, we’re here talking about incentives.

Pritzker: I meet with these companies regularly. And I call them and talk to them when they announce layoffs to try to figure out how do we help their workers, number one, and also, how do we help the company to recover from whatever they’re going through? All these companies are companies that are on a generally upward trajectory over the last decade, but are having a hard time in the moment, because of some of the challenges the Federal Reserve has brought.

* On a related note…

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that greater progress has been made in reducing inflation to its 2% target, a sign that the central bank is moving closer toward cutting its key interest rate for the first time in four years.

In a statement issued after it concluded its two-day meeting, the Fed also said that “job gains have moderated” and acknowledged that the unemployment rate has risen. The Fed is required by Congress to pursue stable prices and maximum employment, and the statement said the central bank is “attentive to the risks” to both goals, a shift after several years of focusing exclusively on combatting inflation. […]

The Fed is seeking to strike a delicate balance: It wants to keep rates high enough for long enough to quell inflation, which has fallen to 2.5% from a peak two years ago of 7.1%, according to its preferred measure. But it also wants to avoid keeping borrowing costs so high that it triggers a recession. So far, it is on track for a so-called “soft landing,” in which inflation falls to 2% without a recession.

Yet with the unemployment rate ticking higher for three months in a row, some economists have raised concerns that the Fed should have cut rates Wednesday or should cut them more quickly later this year.

The number of Illinois’ unemployment claims year to date vs. the same period in 2023 dropped by 2.3 percent.

* Roundup from Isabel…

SJ-R | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week:

* Sun-Times | Boeing names new CEO as it posts loss of more than $1.4 billion in second quarter: Boeing announced its new CEO as it reported a loss of more than $1.4 billion on falling revenue during the second quarter. The loss was wider and the company’s revenue lower than Wall Street’s dismal expectations, as both Boeing’s commercial-airplanes business and defense unit lost money. […] Boeing Chairman Steven Mollenkopf said Ortberg was chosen after a “thorough and extensive search process” and “has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter.” Ortberg has earned a reputation for running complex engineering and manufacturing companies, Mollenkopf said.

* Tribune | CVS doubling down on primary health care, opening new clinics in Chicago, even as Walgreens pulls back: CVS announced the plans Thursday, saying the Oak Street Health locations will be in CVS stores in 14 states, including Illinois. It plans to open another 11 in-store clinics next year. Oak Street Health provides primary care for people on Medicare, focusing on low- to moderate-income seniors in underserved communities. […] CVS leaders hope that by combining the clinics and the pharmacies, they’ll be able to draw more patients to Oak Street. Also, doctors and nurses and Oak Street will work directly with the CVS pharmacists on-site every day to better coordinate care and improve patients’ health, Pykosz said.

* Utility Drive | Illinois can replace fossil plants with storage, capacity from queues: NRDC: Illinois could reliably replace its fossil-fueled power plants by 2030 with nearly 3 GW of battery storage and about 7.7 GW of resources that are seeking to connect to the grid in the state, according to a report released Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. […] The consulting firm found that adding 2,972 MW of 4-hour battery storage at retiring power plant sites, plus a mix of generation in interconnection queues could lead to a reliable grid without the need to build transmission to import power from neighboring states.

* Bloomberg | EPA issues emergency fuel waiver to address Midwest shortages: The EPA issued an emergency waiver of fuel rules in four Midwest states to address shortages tied to a power outage at an Exxon Mobil Corp. refinery in Joliet. The order waives Reid vapor pressure and reformulated gasoline requirements in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin through Aug. 20.

* Tribune | Instead of competing for land, some farmers and solar developers want to work side by side: While there are very few agrivoltaic projects in Illinois, early research and small projects show synergies between solar energy and agriculture. The co-location of solar panels and agriculture could keep farmers in business, improve ecosystem health, feed the country and provide clean energy.

* WQAD | Over 300 salaried John Deere workers laid off in Illinois Quad Cities: A total of 298 employees at John Deere World Headquarters in Moline and 21 employees at Harvester Works in Moline were laid off, according to emails obtained by News 8 on Tuesday. Those emails were sent to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity by Deere officials and say that the affected employees are salaried, adding that they are not represented by a union. Impacted workers will receive an additional 60 days of compensation.

10 Comments

For third time, former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar won’t be voting for Donald Trump (Updated)

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar announced in 2016 that he wasn’t voting for Donald Trump….

Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar turning heads after making a somewhat shocking announcement Tuesday.

“I’ve always voted for the Republican candidate. This will be the first time I will not vote for the Republican candidate for president. And I say that, it kind of bothers me as a Republican, but the presidency is too important to let a partisan identification to keep you from making the correct vote,” said Edgar.

* Edgar said he’d vote for Joe Biden in 2020…

Former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar said Monday that he is voting for Democrat Joe Biden for president this year.

“The biggest thing … was the issue of character,” Edgar said in an interview. “I just think Joe Biden is a very decent person.”

And he said that while he thought GOP President Donald Trump “might grow into the job” after the 2016 campaign, “I don’t think he’s done that.”

“I have been very disappointed,” Edgar said. “We’ve had chaos for four years we didn’t need to have. I mean, there’s always going to be some turmoil, but he stirs it up. He bullies. You can’t believe what he says because he’ll do the different thing the next day. … He’s bungled the virus, there’s no doubt about that. He continued to stir up division in the country, (when) a president should be trying to bring people together. I mean, the list goes on and on.”

* Two weeks ago…

Former two-term Republican Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar points out that state Republicans are losing elections and influence as the party follows Trump to the right.

“In Illinois, it hurts us to have a party that really is pretty much controlled by a faction that doesn’t appeal to the majority in the state,” he said.

* So, it should be no surprise that he’s voting for Kamala Harris this year…

BREAKING: Former Illinois Republican Governor, Jim Edgar, has announced he will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. High ranking Republicans are abandoning Donald Trump as his campaign seemingly implodes.

— Kamala’s Wins (@harris_wins) August 1, 2024

…Adding… From Personal PAC…

Leading abortion advocacy organizations urged Vice President Kamala Harris to choose Gov. Pritzker as her running mate in her 2024 presidential campaign in a letter sent Wednesday night.

The letter, signed by Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick and Men4Choice Advocacy Executive Director and Founder Oren Jacobson, highlights Pritzker’s work as a champion for abortion access, and says a Harris-Pritzker ticket would be a “force to be reckoned with.”

The full letter is here.

27 Comments

Question of the day

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Block Club Chicago…

Sharply worded signs warning dog owners to keep their pups on leashes have been installed in some city parks in response to an “alarming” increase in off-leash dog attacks, an alderman said.

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and his office designed and installed the signs, which feature fictional dog owners who flout the rules or people who have been harmed by off-leash dogs. […]

Hopkins specifically cited an incident when a 9-year-old young girl was attacked by an off-leash dog in Horner Park in April. The incident was the latest in a long history of dog owners flouting rules at the park, which has a sizable dog-friendly space and fragile natural areas, neighbors have said. […]

Dogs in Chicago must always be on leashes when they are off the owner’s property. Fines start at $300 and go up to $10,000 if someone is injured or killed by the animal, according to Chicago law.

One of Hopkins’ signs…

* Many municipalities have ordinances requiring dogs to be leashed. Illinois does not have a statewide leash law, but does have some restrictions for “dangerous dogs”…

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly or recklessly permit any dangerous dog to leave the premises of its owner when not under control by leash or other recognized control methods. […]

“Dangerous dog” means any individual dog anywhere other than upon the property of the owner or custodian of the dog and unmuzzled, unleashed, or unattended by its owner or custodian that behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death to a person or a companion animal or a dog that, without justification, bites a person and does not cause serious physical injury. […]

“Vicious dog” means a dog that, without justification, attacks a person and causes serious physical injury or death or any individual dog that has been found to be a “dangerous dog” upon 3 separate occasions.

* In 2020 Sen. Laura Murphy passed legislation to hold pet owners responsible for dog attacks. ABC Chicago…

A new law sponsored by a north suburban state senator will hold pet owners responsible for their pooch’s behavior.

The law, known as the “Justice for Buddy Act” and introduced by Senator Laura Murphy, deals with situations in which a dog who has already proven itself to be dangerous are repeatedly found off-leash. If that happens, the dog owner will be found to have acted in a reckless manner and can have their dog taken away.

The legislation was born out of a 2017 attack in Hanover Park where a 10-year-old Yorkie named Buddy was killed by a neighbor’s dog. […]

Unfortunately not all dog owners are as dedicated. The Justice for Buddy Act, which went into effect Tuesday, defines a so-called “reckless dog owner” as someone whose dog has been deemed dangerous for killing another dog and is found running at large twice within 12 months of being deemed dangerous.

If authorities find someone is a reckless dog owner, their dogs would be forfeited to a licensed shelter, rescue or sanctuary. Efforts will be made to re-home the dog after it’s independently evaluated and determined to be safe. Additionally, a reckless dog owner who’s found guilty would be prohibited from owning a dog for up to three years.

The Question: Should the Illinois General Assembly pass a statewide leash law? Explain.

26 Comments

Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois!

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

In less than one year, a new law will create credit card chaos for millions of Illinois consumers, small business owners and workers who rely on tips. The law changes how your credit card is processed and has never been done anywhere in the world. The end result is windfall for corporate mega-stores paid for through costly operational hurdles for small businesses and a loss of convenience and privacy for consumers who could have to pay tax and gratuity with cash. There’s still time to protect Illinois small business owners, consumers and workers by repealing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act now! For more information, visit guardyourcard.com/Illinois.

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Staff union ‘tires’ of Speaker Welch’s ‘delay tactics’

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. From the Illinois Legislative Staff Association…

Legislative Staff Union tires of delay tactics and attempts to run up legal bills

On June 24, 2024, Speaker Welch filed a motion to dismiss our lawsuit demanding he recognize our constitutional rights. In a pattern all too familiar by now, this motion appears to be more focused on optics than on actual legal substance. This case is, and has always been about the fact that the Speaker is obligated to recognize and bargain with ILSA under the constitution, but refuses to do so. Speaker Welch is not above the law.

The first argument the Speaker’s legal team puts forward is a misguided attempt to use what is analogous to the Trump v. United States defense, arguing improperly that the Speaker has immunity from civil liability due to the “Speech and Debate” clause, while acting in his “legislative capacity.” If this were true, legislators could be immune from prosecution for misdemeanors, such as: aggravated assault, battery, DUI (when going to and from legislative business), theft of labor or services, and offering a bribe.

The second argument, regarding a lack of private cause of action for constitutional rights violations, willfully ignores the actual legal basis for the suit, which is the officer exemption. This is stated clearly and in bold in the header for the only count in the lawsuit: “Count I – Officer Exception: Violation of Constitutional Right.” It is pretty hard to miss, but they seem to have managed it.

We are further accused in the third and forth arguments of forum shopping, failing to exhaust administrative remedies, and claiming that the Illinois Labor Relation’s Board (ILRB) has exclusive jurisdiction, despite the expressed opinion of ILRB and our own stated opinions, and legislative employees being specifically excluded from ILRB’s jurisdiction. Additionally, ILRB correctly noted that they cannot apply constitutional law; it would be up to the courts to determine if the legislative staff exemption was unconstitutional. These arguments establish that the Speaker would have cried foul regardless of our actions, and that we should have just taken him to court in 2022.

The final argument for dismissal again willfully ignores the actual legal basis of the suit, which is regarding an official violating our constitutional rights as workers, rather than, as they suggest, the Speaker’s status as a “public employer” under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act (IPLRA) . The motion simultaneously claims that we are covered by, and then not covered by, the IPLRA depending on whether it suits the Speaker. All of that ink aside, this has no bearing on the actual case, and seems to be included to pad the page length, much like a student using ChatGPT in an essay.

You can read the ILSA’s filing here Welch’s motion to dismiss is here.

24 Comments

Pat Quinn finds his latest cause

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Policy Institute back in May…

Illinois lawmakers put a trio of advisory questions about election workers, property taxes and insurance for fertility treatments on the Nov. 5 ballot.

That’s it. The ballot is full. Which leaves out a question about parental notification [and trans kids] that a [Jeanne Ives] group was collecting voters’ signatures to include on the ballot.

While advisory questions don’t directly change laws, the results could impact how lawmakers choose to pursue policies in the future based on documented public opinion. Senate Bill 2412, which was signed into law May 3, filled the three available spots with questions Democratic state lawmakers want answered. […]

Lawmakers’ questions:

• Election Worker Protection and Candidate Accountability Referendum Act: “Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?”
• Property Tax Relief and Fairness Referendum Act: “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?”
• Assisted Reproductive Health Referendum Act: “Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?”

* Former Gov. Pat Quinn is using that statute for his next crusade. Press release…

RE: Press Conference to Kick Off the Taxpayer Campaign for the Illinois Property Tax Relief Amendment Referendum which will be on the Statewide Ballot on November 5

“Ben Franklin once said that the only things that are inevitable in life are death and taxes. But he didn’t say that it’s inevitable to be taxed to death by Illinois’ runaway property taxes!”

This Thursday, August 1, at 11:00AM on the stairs outside the Cook County Treasurer’s Office at 118 N. Clark, Chicago, former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and a group of taxpayers will launch a taxpayer campaign to win passage of the Illinois Property Tax Relief Amendment Referendum which will be on the statewide ballot on November 5.

The referendum which was placed on the ballot by resolution of the Illinois General Assembly reads as follows:

“Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?”

Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the nation and Illinois taxpayers pay more in property taxes every year than income taxes and sales taxes.

The Illinois property tax is not based on ability to pay and is a complicated and unfair levy on the state’s 3,077,768 residential property taxpayers.

The Amendment would establish a dedicated property tax relief fund by requiring Illinois millionaires to pay a 3% surcharge on their annual income tax returns.

According to most recent data, Illinois has 77,323 millionaires whose annual returns account for more than $626 billion in adjusted gross income. A 3% surcharge on this millionaire income would fund at least $1.5 billion in annual property tax refunds for distribution to Illinois’ more than 3 million property taxpayers.

“The Illinois Property Tax Relief Amendment Referendum offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Illinois voters to reform an unfair upside-down tax code and give significant annual property tax relief to millions of Illinoisans who urgently need help,” said Quinn.

31 Comments

Open thread

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

3 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Aug 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Deputy who killed Sonya Massey had job reference from fiance’s dad, a longtime sheriff’s deputy. WCIA…

[Scott Butterfield, a former Sheriff’s deputy], and gave a glowing review of [Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with the murder of Sonya Massey].

“Mr. Butterfield advised me that Mr. Grayson is currently dating his daughter,” Lt. Wes Wooden wrote in his background investigation of Grayson for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in March 2023. “Mr. Butterfield describes Mr. Grayson as a mellow, non-confrontational person who has good communication skills. Mr. Butterfield highly recommends Mr. Grayson for employment with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.” […]

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement he prefers recommendations from law enforcement officers he knows.

“Grayson’s personnel file includes references from people I know well,” Campbell said in a statement attached to the FOIA. “Normally, I seek such references and give more credence to those from individuals I trust and know to have integrity. Their insights are invaluable in making informed hiring decisions.”

* Related stories…

∙ AP: 911 calls before Sonya Massey’s shooting include 1 from her mother asking officers not to ‘hurt her’
∙ SJ-R: Records: Deputy in Massey shooting ‘needed more training’
∙ SJ-R: In the wake of Sonya Massey’s death, advocates want the state to act

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Durbin seeks major boost in quantum funding: Durbin plans to introduce legislation today with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., that would boost the amount of money available for quantum from the Department of Energy to $2.5 billion from $625 million. The legislation could have major implications for quantum efforts in Illinois because the Department of Energy is a primary source of funding for research and development in the space, and the state is a major beneficiary. It also comes as J.B. Pritzker is launching a new quantum-computing campus along Lake Michigan at the former U.S. Steel mill on the South Side.

* SJ-R | Who’s performing, how much is admission?: Your 2024 Illinois State Fair questions answered: Kids 12 and younger get in for free every day at the fair, while adults pay $10 Fridays and Saturdays and $5 for every other day. Seniors 60 and older pay $3 per day. Adult admission booklets go for $45, covering all 11 days, and $30 for seniors for 10 days of the 2024 fair.

* Sun-Times | Schuler Scholars program backs out of scholarships promised to Chicago students: The college dreams of hundreds of low-income and first-generation students from Chicago are up in the air after a north suburban family backed out on a longstanding commitment to provide scholarships just weeks before the start of classes. “I’m just kind of at a loss for words,” said Marcus Jackson, a participant in the Schuler Scholars program who grew up on Chicago’s South Side. “I just hope something can be done so that everyone can stay in school and not have to be in debt the rest of [their lives].”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Under new law, Illinois employers can’t force workers to sit through anti-union meetings: The law, dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” was a top priority this spring for organized labor groups in Illinois, which played host to Pritzker’s bill signing at the Illinois AFL-CIO’s biennial convention. “You’re helping every worker in the state of Illinois,” the governor told the hundreds of organized labor members and leaders gathered in a suburban Chicago hotel ballroom. “And as people recognize that more and more, they organize and they join a union.”

* Illinois Association of School Boards | 2024 End of Session Report : The 2024 session, like all others, provided a series of challenges for Illinois school districts. Since 1982, the Illinois General Assembly has imposed more than 700 mandates on schools averaging about 18 per year. This year, IASB prioritized reducing educational mandates and with this increased focus, this session was notably different. While an additional 11 new educational mandates were passed, that is well below the average of 18 and half of the 22 education-related mandates passed last session. Other good news is that none of the curriculum bills passed will require the creation of new, stand-alone courses or add to current graduation requirements.

*** Statewide ***

* WGEM | Illinois career and technical education programs receive $8 million federal grant for heavy machinery training: Career and technical education (CTE) programs throughout Illinois are getting an $8 million boost from the federal government. U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, joined leaders from the Youth Workforce Development Foundation and Associated Equipment Distributors Wednesday at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield to announce an $8 million grant for CTE programs to offer heavy equipment operator and diesel equipment technology training programs.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s Democratic National Convention retooled to capture jolt Kamala Harris has injected into presidential race: The revamp of the convention, kicking off Aug. 19, includes moving away from a heavy use of pretaped pieces, which had been in the works while President Joe Biden was the nominee, to doing more of the convention live.

* Sun-Times | Johnson wants to summon Council back to session in August to install Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair: Several alderpersons said Wednesday they’ve gotten calls from the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs asking whether they’d be available in August to attend a special City Council meeting — preceded by a Rules Committee meeting — to confirm Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair and replace Sigcho-Lopez as Housing chair with Vice Mayor Walter Burnett (27th). Sigcho-Lopez confirmed the mayor’s office was “trying to get a date set” for “whenever we can get a quorum.”

* Crain’s | Johnson condemns Trump’s jabs at Harris during Black journalists convention: Hours after former President Donald Trump walked off the stage at the national convention for Black journalists where he questioned the racial identity of Vice President Kamala Harris, Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the same audience to criticize the Republican presidential nominee. “Earlier today there was an elephant in this room,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, that elephant is not just a symbol but a representation of a very dark history in our country.”

* WBBM | Fed up Chicago firefighters union threatening to shut down DNC setup with protest: Chicago Firefighters Union- Local 2 President Pat Cleary said it’s clear why the permit was denied. […] “I’m also considering protesting outside the United Center sometime very soon, and I’m going to call on my CFL brothers and AFL-CIO brothers to stop construction at the United Center,” Cleary said.

* ABC Chicago | Charges in shooting death of Cook Co. deputy to be announced Thursday; family hold balloon release: A person of interest has been in custody, but police said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling, Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon will formally announce charges in Rafael Wordlaw’s death Thursday morning.

* Rick Morrissey | This season is Jerry Reinsdorf’s perverse revenge against those who want him to sell the White Sox: In a better world, Chris Getz would do his public duty and resign as general manager of the White Sox. A resignation would serve as a warning to anyone with aspirations of working for the Sox: Don’t do what I did. Don’t seek employment here. Get yourself and your family as far away from 35th and Shields as possible. Block all calls from Jerry Reinsdorf! In essence, Getz would be putting his own head on a pike in front of Guaranteed Rate Field as a deterrent to any naive, desperate or delusional executive who thinks the Sox GM job is a good one. Woe to anyone who dares tread here, it would say.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Stateville inmates request transfer or release in court motion citing prison’s decrepit conditions: At Wednesday’s news conference, former Stateville inmates shared complaints about the prison’s conditions that included falling concrete, electrical outages and a lack of ventilation amid excessive heat. Advocates say some of those conditions contributed to the death of 51-year-old Michael Broadway, who was incarcerated at the facility and died during a June heat wave. The Will County coroner’s office has not released a cause of death for Broadway, who graduated last year from Northwestern University’s Prison Education program.

* Daily Herald | Krishnamoorthi receives reelection endorsement by 13 mayors in the 8th District: Those who provided statements of endorsement for Krishnamoorthi included the mayors and village presidents of Addison, Carol Stream, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Itasca, Lake Barrington, Oak Brook, Roselle, Schaumburg, Villa Park and Wood Dale. “I am honored and grateful to have received this outpouring of support from these outstanding local leaders on both sides of the aisle,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “Together, we will continue to ensure that the communities that we represent have the support and resources necessary to thrive in the years to come.”

* ABC Chicago | Some must pay erroneous Cook County property taxes after bills not corrected before due date: “Almost all of them, the bills were made accurate by fixing them before the bills were sent out,” Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi said. Kaegi’s office fixed about 4,400 assessment errors his office made in the south and southwest suburbs. But, just under a couple hundred of them will not be corrected by the time bills are due because the Cook County Board of Review did not yet approve those certificates of error.

* Daily Herald | Alumni Olympians, coach inspire St. Francis Spartans at watch party: Three-time Team USA outside hitter Kelsey Robinson-Cook or assistant coach Erin Virtue [are] both St. Francis graduates. […] “I wonder, sitting back and reflecting, how many girls has she inspired?” Kopec asked rhetorically. “How many girls, just by being her, has she encouraged to go for their dream? I think Kelsey has been a great representative not only for St. Francis but in volleyball.”

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Southern Illinois brewery forages, grows or locally sources ingredients for its earthy fare: The footprint of of the brewery is minimal. The beers and food are made using local ingredients, all foraged, grown, or purchased from local farmers. There’s a bottling facility on-site, and the land that it sits on is rich with growing edibles both native and introduced. “Everything we have is produced on site or by supporting local farmers,” said co-owner Marika Josephson. “We really do have a small footprint here.”

* WCIA | More Republican election judges needed in Champaign County: Clerk Aaron Ammons said the biggest concern is having enough people on Election Day. He said they need a total of 325. Right now, they have 302 — but they’re short on Republican judges, with only 91 so far and 211 Democrats. Ammons said the ideal break down would be 171 Democrats, and 154 Republicans.

* WCIA | IL welcomes 5,000 sports shooters, spectators for annual competition: The Amateur Trapshooting Association is hosting its annual Grand American Trapshooting Championships in Sparta, Ill. The Grand American is the largest and oldest shooting event of its kind; this year will be the 125th edition of the event, featuring more than 20 events and over 5,000 competitors and spectators. The host facility, the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC), has been the home of the Grand American since 2004, and the event brings in an estimated $25 to $30 million in economic activity to the area. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources operates the complex.

* WSIL | People are doing their best to beat the heat at the Pulaski County Fair: And Pulaski County Fair Officials say they have safety precautions for people to stay cool. Bryan Curry is the vice president of the county fair’s committee. “We have an airconditioned office that’s available if needed. And we have water at the Cook Shack and the hot dog stand. And there will also be an ambulance on the grounds if needed,” Curry said.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Record payouts on biggest U.S. grid signal costs of reliable power: The cost to keep the lights on for 65 million Americans who tap into the largest US electrical grid will rise 833% starting in June. Generators that provide electricity to the 13-state grid that stretches from New Jersey to Illinois will get a record $269.92 per megawatt-day from utilities to provide capacity over a 12-month period starting in June, according to results of an auction by grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC disclosed Tuesday. That’s more than a ninefold increase from $28.92 in last year’s auction.

* Bloomberg | Almost 20% of Americans face prospect of higher electric bills: An increase for the year starting in June would follow a power auction held in 2023 that saw prices come in at a decade low of $28.92 per megawatt-day. The latest auction results are expected Tuesday afternoon. This time around, analysts predict prices could be two to four times higher. The jump comes as the grid pushes to rein in an oversupply of capacity just when Virginia ramps up power demand to feed its artificial intelligence and data centers. Closures of coal and natural-gas fired plants will also remove about 4 gigawatts of generating capacity from the grid — enough to power about 3.2 million homes.

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