Afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Um, not really…
1) According to the polling memo itself, the program is supported by Illinoisans 56-25, not “two-thirds.” 2) We don’t know the wording of the poll’s support or oppose question because it was not in the polling memo. 3) Here are the pros and cons presented to respondents…
The donations qualify for a 75 percent state income tax credit. That’s money the state would’ve normally received.
* From Sen. Durbin…
* WAND TV…
* Update on yesterday’s story…
* Isabel’s roundup… * WBEZ | St. Louis groups seek to resettle Chicago migrants to boost workforce and population: The nonprofit International Institute of St. Louis is partnering with unions and philanthropic leaders to resettle hundreds — if not thousands — of Latin American migrants in their city. The goal is to bolster St. Louis’s workforce and stem its population decline. “It could be the potential for a great relationship between both cities,” said Karlos Ramirez, vice president of Latino outreach for the International Institute. “If the [migrants] are going to be in a better place, St. Louis is going to be in a better place, and Chicago is going to be in a better place, I think everybody wins.” * Block Club | At South Side Garden, Migrant Families Build A Community As ‘Burned Out’ Volunteers Ask For Help: There are 24 tents at the garden, 1812 W. Monterey Ave., sheltering roughly 100 asylum seekers. […] “You can only work it strongly for a few weeks at a time,” said Kathy Figel, director of the Edna White Community Garden, where the overflow of asylum seekers from the station have been sheltering in tents. “Then they have to take a break. That’s what happened to a lot of volunteers [who helped out in the summer.]” The city, Figel said, hasn’t provided anything. All funds and support has come from volunteers and even her own personal funds. * ABC Chicago | Alderman visiting Mexican border says disaster declaration needed to better help Chicago migrants: Among their first stops were shelters in El Paso run by nonprofits to help better establish connections between organizations in the Lone Star State and in the Windy City. But, even on their first day to the southern border, these city leaders are saying it is obvious that more help from the federal government is absolutely crucial. * NYT | Texas Has Bused 50,000 Migrants. Now It Wants to Arrest Them Instead.: Mr. Abbott is now pursuing an even more audacious effort: to change Texas law to make crossing the border from Mexico without authorization a state crime, allowing the police in Texas to arrest people coming across the Rio Grande, including asylum seekers. * NYT | Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois Starts Group to Promote Abortion Rights: A spokeswoman for Think Big America said the group was providing “financial and strategic support” to the campaigns in Ohio, Arizona and Nevada, including putting members on advisory boards, helping to develop messaging and analyzing polls. She added that it was also prepared to help with direct voter contact and, if applicable, legal challenges. * Capitol News Illinois | Assault weapon registration period remains open as Illinois State Police seeks further input: ISP says it plans to hold additional public hearings about that process and may refine the rules before they become permanent next year. “We are happy to address all questions and comments submitted to ISP and will be doing so in the weeks to come,” ISP said in a statement this week. * WGEM | JCAR members bash DCFS, reject daycare rule proposal: “We need daycares to get people back to work after COVID,” said Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford. “We need daycares to make sure that our kids are taken care of and not in unapproved places. We need just need daycares and, not just the rule, but the whole system has been very frustrating.” * Block Club | Chicago Top Cop Larry Snelling Says Technology Is ‘No. 1 Way’ To Fix Crime: “Officers have a focus” on using technology like license plate readers to identify drivers and stolen cars, which are often then used to commit more crimes, Snelling said. The department is also using “technology across borders” to identify people who travel between city police districts to commit robberies — a “pattern” leaders have noticed, Snelling said. * Sun-Times | Slain Palestinian American boy remembered: ‘We are Plainfield strong; we are here for Wadea’: “Tonight is to celebrate the life of this child and make sure that this does not happen again,” said Mohammed Faheem, president of American Muslims Assisting Neighbors, the Plainfield nonprofit that organized the vigil. “This is to express our solidarity as one community. Plainfield is a very welcoming community, and we want to make sure that people understand that.” * Shaw Local | Thousands attend vigil in Plainfield for slain Muslim boy: Nearly two thousand turned out in Plainfield Tuesday night to mourn the slaying of a Muslim boy and to oppose the hatred and prejudice that authorities said motived the attack on him and his mother. […] Wadea’s father Oday Al-Fayoume and several others spoke at the vigil. Among them was Zaki Basalath, of the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs. * Tribune | Lawyers for ex-assistant state’s attorneys standing trial criticize handling of third Jackie Wilson trial in heated questioning of special prosecutors: The trial entered its second day Tuesday at the Rolling Meadows branch court in northwest suburban Cook County, with Wilson’s special prosecutors Lawrence Rosen and Myles O’Rourke taking the stand for hours. Rosen and O’Rourke dropped charges against Wilson after learning about Trutenko’s longtime friendship and recent contact with a witness they had been unable to locate. * Fox Chicago | $5 million in grants to help Cook County domestic violence victims: The grants were awarded to local nonprofits as part of the Cook County Domestic Violence Intervention and Support Services Initiative. Preckwinkle said the grants will change lives. “We cannot let these patterns continue,” Preckwinkle said. “This Domestic Violence Awareness Month we are making an important investment to disrupt this trend. We’re investing in programs and services that provide critical support to survivors and their families.” * ABC Chicago | Cook County domestic violence survivor center opens in Markham: The new facility is located in the basement of the Cook County Circuit Court Building in Markham, and it is out of public view. The center includes a private and comfortable space for victims to meet with advocates, a space for Zoom hearings and a children’s area. * PJ Star | Peoria City Council debates new $321 million proposed budget. Here’s what we know: The new budget proposed to the council by City Manager Patrick Urich and Finance Director Kyle Cratty for 2024 would have $321.8 million in spending — an increase of 5.4% from 2023. […] A major source of the revenue decline for 2024 is coming from a loss 26% decrease in corporate income and a 20% decrease in real estate transaction taxes and “some level of financial pullback in the economy.” * Block Club | Chicago State Unveils $250 Million Plan For 95th Street: The economic development plan targets 95th Street between King Drive and Cottage Grove Avenue. The plan recommends several projects on vacant land with a focus on adding to the community’s housing and retail options and improving pedestrian experiences, among other points. * Shaw Local | After McHenry rejects gravel mine, industry tries to show elected officials its benefits to county: In August, the McHenry City Council rejected a controversial plan to annex a proposed gravel mine to the city. On Thursday, the same business owner who submitted that proposal, Jack Pease, joined McHenry County officials for a tour of gravel pits. * SJ-R | Downtown Springfield Inc. holds 30th annual awards ceremony, dinner Wednesday: Downtown Springfield Inc. will hold its 30th annual awards and dinner at the Bank of Springfield (BoS) Center at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher will give her first State of Downtown address. It is DSI’s major fundraiser to support its work to revitalize downtown. * Crain’s | Fulton Market developer ditches luxury condo plan in favor of ‘modern social bathhouse’: It’s a sign that even the hot Fulton Market area isn’t immune to slowing condo demand in Chicago. The city’s condo market has been hit hard in the 2020s, with the slower-than-expected return of office workers and downtown draws like theaters struggling to regain pre-pandemic activity levels, as well as the perception that crime is out of control in and around downtown. * Streetsblog | Pedestrian fatally struck at Chicago/DLSD, which has stoplights, but no east-west crosswalks: According to the preliminary police report, on Tuesday, October 17, at about 5:25 a.m., two men were attempting to cross DLSD on foot on the 800 North block. The police report mentions that the men were “not in a crosswalk.”This intersection has stoplights in all directions to accommodate drivers entering and leaving the drive. But there are no east-west crosswalks here because pedestrians aren’t supposed to cross to and from the lake at this location. That must be confusing to some Chicago visitors trying to walk to the lakefront from Streeterville. * Crain’s | Hyde Park is the world’s 19th-coolest neighborhood: “Notable for being the home of the University of Chicago and President Barack Obama, Hyde Park embodies the spirit of a small town while providing all the amenities of a bustling metropolis,” according to Time Out’s sixth annual list, published Tuesday. * Esquire | The DOJ Is Cracking Down on the Dumbest Form of Climate Denialism: These are the folks driving the big rigs who have adapted their vehicles to belch as much carbon waste product as they can produce. It’s is an own-the-libs deal, as you’ve probably guessed. I gotcher climate change right here, Snowflake. Whoo-hoo! Mercy sakes alive, looks like we’ve got ourselves a cloud bank.
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After Bailey attack, Bost touts National Right to Life endorsement, tries to keep up on Trump
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Darren Bailey earlier this week…
Today’s Bost retort…
* Earlier this month… Bost gets in on the act…
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Kam Buckner’s HB4168…
* Rep. Margaret Croke introduced HB4175…
* 25 News Now…
* Vandalia Radio…
Pritzker vetoed HB3445 in August. From the governor’s release…
* Rep. Jed Davis introduced HB4173 on Friday…
* Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado introduced HB4165 last week…
* HB4164 from Rep. La Shawn Ford…
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This has always been true to some extent, but feels like it’s even more true today. And it’s not just a national thing. Look at the news media coverage lavished on a small handful of state legislators and Chicago alderpersons who know exactly what to say and how to say it to get themselves on the teevee…
The people who do the actual work are usually not as astute about their media presence. Workhorses are rarely interviewed, and only rarely consent to interviews when asked. The difference between state/local and the DC crowd is that being a showhorse here doesn’t usually get you elevated into actual leadership positions because fellow members know the game and just smile and roll their eyes. Out there? Way too often, the clicks rule.
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New Yorker profiles Pritzker
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I was interviewed for this New Yorker profile of Gov. JB Pritzker. The reporter covered some familiar ground, but he had stuff in here I didn’t know or didn’t quite absorb, like this bit about how Pritzker’s inherited wealth has tripled…
* The governor has told me off the record about this brutal focus group…
* Sad details about the death of his parents…
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More like this, please
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Dean Olsen at the Illinois Times…
Milhiser served as a United States Attorney from January of 2019 until 2021. He could’ve cashed in right away and gone into private practice, which is what most former US Attorneys do. It’s a little-discussed revolving door and they really make bank. Instead, he taught government, history and English at Lawrence Education Center, the Springfield Public Schools’ adult education program, and ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state. He then returned to work as an assistant state’s attorney handling felony cases. Milhiser was a solid state’s attorney, so I’m glad to see he’ll likely be appointed to fill the vacancy. We could use more public servants like him.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - A look at the leaders
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More veto session preview stuff
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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The CCS Opportunity In Illinois
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Carbon capture and storage, or “CCS,” is a technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at their source and stores them deep underground. CCS is a proven and safe process and the Illinois State Geologic Survey has confirmed that our state’s geology is perfectly suited for this technology. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) enforces federal requirements to regulate the safety of the pipelines that will support CCS. In addition to delivering a cleaner environment, CCS will generate $3.3 billion in value for the region and could spur 14,440 jobs. Now is the time to bring carbon capture technology and its environmental and economic benefits to Illinois. Policymakers must pass legislation to advance CCS and bring this opportunity to Illinois.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated x4)
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * They seem pretty amused at something…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Governor Pritzker launches abortion rights group Think Big America…
∙ The 19th: Think Big America, a 501(c)4 nonprofit, is Pritzker’s latest step to centralize and formalize that work. The organization is now funded just by Pritzker but will accept other donations, an aide said, and will contribute to ballot measure campaigns in Ohio and Nevada “in the coming days.” Several senior Pritzker advisers and other members of the governor’s campaign team will start to split their time with the new organization. ∙ Sun-Times: The creation of the group — and the split of political resources — further signals Pritzker is not mulling a presidential run next year, despite plenty of speculation. But it also raises his national profile and could set him up for a 2028 run. Pritzker’s staffers likened the group to Tom Steyer’s nonprofit NextGen America, which he created in 2013. It also helped lead up to a presidential run in 2019. * Pritzker launched the group with his own money, but will be accepting donations from elsewhere…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Sun-Times | Chicago casino a sure bet for ramp-up in gambling addiction, experts say: Chicago-area addiction treatment experts who spoke with the Sun-Times said that while there hasn’t been an influx of people seeking help for gambling disorder since Bally’s opened downtown, they’re bracing for a steady increase in clients — just like they’ve seen after other gaming expansions in Illinois. * NPR | What was the impact of COVID on the Illinois teacher workforce? A new report examines what really happened: Is there a teacher shortage in Illinois? Which school positions are hard to staff? Did a ton of teachers leave the field during the pandemic? WNIJ’s Peter Medlin spoke with Robin Steans of Advance Illinois – a nonpartisan education policy organization — about their new report “The State of Our Educator Pipeline 2023” that set out to answer those questions and more. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Muddy River News | ‘People need to know they’re being heard’: Beardstown businessman to run for 99th District seat: When asked about what people aren’t being heard about, Snellgrove said abortion. “No preacher who I’ve ever been in front of has jumped up in the pulpit and said, ‘You know, abortion is OK, and it’s a good thing,’” he said. “That’s the number one thing that any churchgoer probably feels somewhere deep in their soul that needs to be changed … that should be changed.” * WAND | Gov. Pritzker announces tax relief for people, businesses affected by Middle East conflict: Gov. JB Pritzker announced tax relief for individuals and businesses affected by the attacks that took place in Israel a week ago and the resulting Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Impacted taxpayers may request to waive penalties and interest with the Illinois Department of Revenue if they cannot file their returns or make timely payments for income, withholding, sales, specialty, and excise taxes. * CBS Chicago | Illinois sees 44% more electric cars on the road in 2023: This year alone, there are 44% more electric vehicles on the roads than at this time last year. The state has awarded nearly $13 million for fast-charging ports. There’s also up to $4,000 in rebates for Illinois residents who buy electric cars. * Tribune | New CPD boss promises to balance reform and aggressive policing through transparency: “I don’t think we’ve done a very good job of explaining what real constitutional, proactive police work looks like,” Snelling said Tuesday. “The way that we balance this is to, one, be transparent about what we do. Sometimes police work does not look good. But if we can explain the constitutionality of stops, of our interactions with individuals, I think it’ll be a lot more palatable for those who just don’t understand what they’re looking at.” * Sun-Times | Outgoing Police Board president urges City Council to reject arbitrator’s ruling, says it would undermine police reform: The August ruling would allow Chicago police officers accused of the most serious wrongdoing and recommended for firings or suspensions longer than a year to bypass the board and take their cases to an independent arbitrator, who might be more sympathetic to their arguments and would hold proceedings on those cases behind closed doors. * Crain’s | The $5 million pot sweetener in Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget: For years, members of the City Council have been asking for additional funding to boost their office staff from three full-time employees to four in an effort to stay on top of connecting residents to city services through their ward offices, meeting with developers and shaping policy at City Hall. * NBC Chicago | Invoices show how millions of dollars flowed to Favorite Healthcare Staffing to staff migrant shelters: In the past year, city financial records show nearly $60 million has flowed to an out-of-state company, Favorite Healthcare Staffing, which holds the contract to staff the city’s migrant shelters. […] When it came to employees assigned to security, the invoices show that Favorite charged Chicago taxpayers a median payrate of $24,000 apiece for each security guard, for four weeks’ worth of work. That translates to an annual charge, for each security guard, of $312,000. * Daily Herald | Train horns return in some Lake County towns, for now : Following inspections, the Federal Railroad Administration mandated upgrades in seven communities including installation/maintenance of “No Train Horn” signs and changes in curb height and length, according to Molly Gillespie, Buffalo Grove’s director of communications and community engagement. The village is the point agency for the Lake County Quiet Zone, which temporarily was suspended Oct. 11. * The Telegraph | Striking statue of Jacksonville’s Civil War governor turns 100: The Yates statue was one of two sculptures dedicated in front of a sizable crowd on Oct. 16, 1923. The other was the likeness of John M. Palmer, a Carlinville man who was a Civil War corps commander, Illinois governor from 1869 to 1873, and U.S. senator from 1891 to 1897. * AP | Report: Young driver fatality rates have fallen sharply in the US, helped by education, technology: Using data from 2002-2021, a non-profit group of state highway safety offices says in the report made public Wednesday that fatal crashes involving a young driver fell by 38%, while deaths of young drivers dropped even more, by about 45%. For drivers 21 and older, fatal crashes rose 8% and deaths rose 11%. * Sun-Times | Metra to buy zero-emission, self-propelled rail cars with $169.3M federal grant: The grant supports the purchase of up to 16 train sets, with a new type of propulsion that could accelerate and brake faster than traditional trains. Buying the train sets would allow Metra to retire some of its oldest, most polluting diesel locomotives. If Metra could take 16 locomotives out of service six years earlier than planned, it would reduce Metra’s carbon dioxide emissions by about 567,000 tons over that period, said Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis. * NYT | Barnes & Noble Sets Itself Free: “Any design agency would have a heart attack if they could see what we’re doing,” James Daunt, the Barnes & Noble chief executive, said. “We don’t have any architect doing our design at any stage. There’s no interior designer.” * AP | Europe is looking to fight the flood of Chinese electric vehicles. But Europeans love them: Chinese EV makers are drawn to Europe because auto import tariffs are just 10% versus 27.5% in the U.S., independent auto analyst Matthias Schmidt said. Europe also has the world’s second-biggest EV battery market after China. Nevermind the geopolitics. Climate-conscious car buyers in Europe who are grappling with an increased cost of living rave about how Chinese EVs are affordable yet packed with features and stylish design. Concerns about the threat to local carmakers and jobs just aren’t a factor for them. * Sun-Times | Demolition of Thompson Center facade, atrium for Google makeover approved by city: The move isn’t a complete surprise. Renderings released after the tech giant’s takeover of the building last year show prospective views of the renovated edifice with new exterior and interior glazing that either abandoned or muted the building’s current blue, salmon and white color scheme — one of its signature features — and other architectural details.
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