The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated.
Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well over the $170 million that was originally estimated. […]
“Given the challenges this industry is facing across the nation, such as inflation, increased costs, demand issues, and labor shortages, the project has surpassed its original budget, which was established well before the economic pressures were recognized,” [Statehouse Architect Andrea Aggertt] added. “With that being said, the project is still within the amount that was appropriated by the state.”
State lawmakers set aside $350 million for Statehouse renovations as part of a $45 billion capital improvements package that passed in 2019.
Click here to read what’s in store for the north wing.
As adept as Carvana has proven itself at vertically stacking cars, it’s falling short in the transfer-of-ownership portion of its used car buying experience — which some would argue is the most important part of that experience. Complaints from customers in multiple states, usually around failing to provide titles and sometimes even telling customers to drive on a series of expired out-of-state temporary tags, have finally caught up with the company. Its dealer license in Illinois has been suspended, and the state’s Secretary of State Police department say there’s no ETA for the startup to get it back.
Illinois Secretary of State Police temporarily blocked Carvana’s dealer license on May 10 because the company failed to properly transfer titles for vehicles it sold and misused issuing out-of-state temporary registration permits, said Henry Haupt, an Illinois Secretary of State spokesman.
The Secretary of State’s police department opened an investigation into consumer complaints about Carvana in February, Haupt told Automotive News. The investigation spans about 90 signed complaints, Haupt said. He said he couldn’t provide an exact date as to when Carvana might see the suspension lifted.
Spokesman Henry Haupt said the office suspended Carvana’s license to operate in Illinois after investigating consumer complaints. He said Carvana failed to get buyers their titles within a 20-day period specified under law and in some cases were four to six months late.
He also said Carvana unlawfully issued buyers temporary vehicle registrations from another state. The out-of-state registrations were issued as replacements for temporary registrations in Illinois that expired after 90 days, Haupt said. […]
He said some Carvana customers were ticketed in Illinois for expired registrations. Those customers should pay the fines and the Secretary of State will work with Carvana to get them reimbursed, Haupt said. He had no estimate on when Carvana’s business license might be restored. […]
The Phoenix-based company last week said it was laying off about 2,500 workers, or 12% of its workforce, and its top executives would give up salaries for the rest of 2022 to fund severance. It had reported losing $506 million during the first quarter of 2022, a deficit six times higher than its result from the same period in 2021.
The company has similar problems in other states.
* The Question: Have you ever bought, or would you ever consider buying a car online? Explain.
“It is very discouraging when a candidates resorts to distortions and lies to win votes. It’s even more discouraging when they wear the label Republican. The current campaign tactics used by the Irvin campaign exceeds normal “tough campaign tactics”. For those of us who know these men it is hard to see them so totally misrepresented. The bylaws of the McLean County Republican party do not allow me to endorse in a contested primary. Rightly so as our role as a party should be to allow our Republican voters to have access to all candidates to let them make the decision at the primary. But I can not stay silent when such mailers as these pile up in our mailboxes. Having a large war chest for campaign funds does not mean it needs to be used in such a fashion. I urge voters to not listen to mass mailings but to learn for yourselves who these people are that ask for your vote.”
She doesn’t seem all too happy.
* Speaking of which…
Sheesh.
* IFT…
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) Executive Board voted on Saturday, May 14 to endorse candidates for federal, state, and judicial races in the June 28 Primary Election.
The endorsements are the result of the union’s robust candidate review process, which includes candidate questionnaires and surveys, regional discussions, and thorough consideration by board members. IFT’s Executive Board is comprised of 40 elected individuals who represent our diverse local unions statewide.
The IFT had previously early endorsed Alexi Giannoulias for Secretary of State, State Representative Delia Ramirez for U.S. Congress (3rd District), Nikki Budzinski for U.S. Congress (13th District), and Justice Mary Kay O’Brien for Illinois Supreme Court (3rd District).
This Primary Election is an important one; it’s a critical step toward electing lawmakers in June who share our union’s values and will strive to create the future we all deserve. Candidates who have earned the IFT’s endorsement have expressed staunch support for vital public services and a commitment to public education at every level.
IFT President Dan Montgomery said, “We are proud to support these women and men who have demonstrated a will to protect collective bargaining and champion public education and public services. These outstanding candidates represent the collective values of our membership and a desire to work with us to advance our shared goals on behalf of students and communities.”
The complete list of IFT 2022 Primary Election endorsements is available here.
* IEA…
The state executive committee of the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education (IPACE) has recommended four candidates in the Illinois Congressional primary races.
IPACE is recommending Delia Ramirez for in the Congressional District 3 Democrat primary, Rep. Sean Casten in the Congressional District 6 Democrat primary, Brad Schneider for Congressional District 10 Democrat primary and Jonathan Logemann for Congressional District 17 Democrat primary.
The following quote can be attributed to Kathi Griffin, IEA president:
“We are excited to recommend Delia Ramirez, Sean Casten, Brad Schnieder and Jonathan Logemann in the Illinois primary for Congress. These candidates put public education first and know our educators deserve a voice when it comes to education policy. We look forward to working with these politicians and providing the important perspective that only our teachers, paraeducators, professors and support staff can provide, so we can make sure every student continues to have access to the best public education possible.
The IEA is especially excited to be supporting Logemann because he is an IEA member and teacher. He truly knows what supports are needed for our teachers and students because he lives it every day. We need his voice in Washington to both amplify and advocate for public education issues.”
Griffin said it is important that IEA members have a chance to weigh in on candidates running for office in Illinois, whether it be in school board races, legislative contests or for the state’s constitutional officer positions.
“There is a deep connection between schools and elected officials,” Griffin said. “Nearly everything that happens inside a school is governed by a decision made outside of it. The laws, rules and regulations put in place dictate education policy on everything, including curriculum, safety and even what students eat. Those who work in public schools and higher education in Illinois need the ability to listen to candidates and determine who best represents the cares and concerns of public education in our state.”
— Former Gov. Pat Quinn has endorsed Thomas Maillard in his bid to represent that 62nd District of the state House.
— Former state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in her bid for the 31st District state Senate seat. She’s in a competitive race against Dem Rep. Sam Yingling. Here’s the full list of AFL-CIO endorsements
Maillard is up against fellow Dems Laura Faver Dias and Terry Wilke to replace Rep. Sam Yingling, who is running for Senate.
* The Republican candidates are all together in one room today…
“We decided to put our energies and resources into having an in-person meeting with the candidates to help us with out endorsement decision. Our call based on the realities of the moment. Nothing to do with anyone else.” (2/2) @
* It goes without saying that she needs to do more than post digital ads…
Democratic Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia today has released a new digital ad highlighting the endorsement she received from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. Secretary White notes the historic nature of his own election while encouraging Illinois voters to elect Valencia as the first woman to be Secretary of State.
“My election as Secretary of State not only made history by being the first African American to hold the office, but it allowed me to fix the problems that I inherited,” says Secretary White in the new ad. “And my approach was simple, I looked at the world through the eyes of taxpayers so I can make government work better for you.
White continues in the ad, “I’m proudly endorsing Anna Valencia to replace me. She will carry on our reforms and continue our progress just as she has as City Clerk. I believe in my heart that Anna Valencia will be an outstanding Secretary of State. Let’s make history again by electing the first woman to the Secretary of State’s office.
Last week, Valencia released an ad featuring endorsers including Planned Parenthood Illinois Action President and CEO Jennifer Welch, Illinois State Representative Ann Williams and Cheryle Jackson, CEO of Grit and Grace. The ad highlighted Valencia’s commitment to reproductive justice and history of working alongside women elected officials and community leaders fighting the Trump and Rauner administrations.
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement upon Governor Pritzker’s announcement that Illinois will be rejoining the federal Title X program and putting the funds towards the Illinois Family Planning Program, which includes Planned Parenthood.
“The Hyde Amendment and federal law prohibit funding for abortion or abortion services,” Miller said. “Governor Pritzker may support aborting 9-month-old babies in the womb, but he can’t use tax dollars to pay for it.
President Trump was right when he issued a rule prohibiting Title X from going to Planned Parenthood because they provide abortion services. I joined H.R. 243, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act to ensure that this Trump-era policy stays in place. We must stand up for the unborn and I will not stop using my voice to speak on behalf of those who have no voice.”
* The governor was asked again yesterday about the future of DCFS Director Marc Smith…
Let’s start with these are the most vulnerable children in our state. We owe it to them to do everything that we can to keep them healthy, safe, and make sure that we’re providing the services that are necessary for them and for the people who are caring for them.
When I came into office, many of the employees that we needed at DCFS had gone away, again defunding of DCFS. Twelve directors over the course of less than 15 years, 12 directors. So this idea that when you have an agency that is so challenged, like DCFS, that just cycling through leaders is somehow going to be helpful. Not at all. You need stability, in fact, in order for an agency to improve. So you have to start out with a good leader, we have a good leader, somebody who is working very hard and comes from an agency that was directly serving these children.
You’ve got to provide the resources necessary. And then you’ve got to rebuild things that took years to build up and then were devastated by Governor Rauner. 500 residential beds were done away with during the Rauner administration. You can’t snap your fingers and get 500 beds back. These agencies and organizations don’t have 500 available beds, if you stop contracting with them, they either go out of business, or they provide those services to other agencies even out of state because they don’t trust the government. And remember, bills weren’t paid back then, either. So now we’re rebuilding trust, we’re also rebuilding those beds. I think you’ve seen a plan that the agency put forward, if you haven’t, I’ll provide it to you, in which we’re putting literally dozens of beds every month back into service so that we can provide the kind of residential care.
And then finally, I just say we have more work to do. But if you look inside this agency, many, many positive things have happened. And the best example I can give you, but there are others is, it used to be when I took office, before I took office, 50% of the calls that were going into DCFS were calls about neglect, abuse, all of them were about neglect and abuse. Only 50% of them were being responded to immediately, the other 50% were going into voicemail, and then got responded to over some period of time. Now 99% of all the calls that come into our hotline are responded to immediately. That’s a big change. And it took a lot of effort to get that done. And that’s just one of a list a long list of things that needed to be improved, but take time to do that. We weren’t able to do that in a month or two. That literally took the first year to get the scheduling redone to make sure that the people that you hired understood that they were now going to have to work different hours in order to answer those calls. to put in a a system of reporting that included an online system, there are people who don’t want to talk teachers and others who don’t want to talk to somebody on the phone about it. They’ll put their name in, and their contact information, but they don’t really want to engage in a conversation. They just want to report what they’ve seen. And then that’s another system that we put in to make sure that we’re responding and getting that information immediately. So there’s a lot of work still to be done, I know that. But just hammering on the leader of an agency and not looking at the work that’s being done underneath with the University of Chicago, Chapin Hall with Annie E. Casey Foundation, all advising this agency and making the improvements necessary. All of that work is being done and it would be worthy of all of you just to take a look at that work.
* Pritzker talks a lot about the hotline, so I asked for and received this list about other progress at DCFS since the governor took office in 2019…
• Launched a comprehensive training and retraining program for all DCFS staff.
• Built a new simulation training lab at UIC and building new labs at NIU and SIU for a statewide footprint.
• Achieved the highest DCFS headcount in a decade with nearly 3,000 employees, 79 percent of who are frontline staff.
• Provided a 58 percent increase to child welfare residential providers since FY19 with cost of living increases to private child welfare staff four years in a row after staff went without increases in 16 of the last 18 years.
• Launched a new healthcare plan for 30,000 youth in care with a network three times the size of the previous network and care coordinators to book appointments and help families navigate the process.
• Added more than 100 residential beds with more in the pipeline that are equipped to serve children with the most complex medical needs.
• Dramatically expedited the time it takes background information on families to be provided to investigators from weeks in 2019 to within an hour of a case being assigned today.
• Launched pilot programs across the state with local law enforcement to jointly respond in cases where there are safety concerns.
• Not only eliminated the hotline backlog, but launched a new online reporting system so residents can now report complaints faster and easier than at any point in DCFS history.
* From Kyle Hillman, Legislative Affairs Director for the National Association of Social Workers…
While we deeply share the governor’s desire to finally see stability at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), maintaining failed leadership to accomplish stability undermines the department and harms the very children who need DCFS to succeed. We joined others in support of Director Smith (a licensed clinical social worker) when he was announced by the governor. His background and experience within the child welfare system seemed to set him up to be a good fit to serve in this critical position. In reality, the Director has proven time and time again that the job is too large and the challenges too difficult to be addressed with his underperforming leadership.
The department’s relationship with child welfare agencies, advocates, and foster parents continues to be eroded. The Director’s DCFS culture that allows leadership to even consider shackling children, forcing kids to sleep on office floors, that places LGBTQIA+ kids in non-affirming placements, and leaving children locked in hospitals to grow up, continue. As we saw in the recent audit, even basic requirements of child welfare are being ignored. A lack of urgency to address even the most pressing issues facing the department must fall squarely on the Director.
We might feel differently if the Director had a strategic plan with timelines that the General Assembly was refusing to fund. Instead, we have seen the General Assembly dramatically increase funding for the department only for the most glaring issues to remain unaddressed.
We wince at the idea of yet another change at DCFS, but holding onto failed leadership just so our governor doesn’t have to admit his choice didn’t work out is hurting children in Illinois. Protecting our kids, strengthening families in trauma, and ensuring our kids brought into care succeed should be more important than the politics playing out here. Our kids can’t wait until after an election, we need the governor to act now.
* Once again posting these in reverse order of when they were received…
Governor JB Pritzker today signed HB1950, extending and expanding the Hospital Assessment Program through 2026. The legislation helps ensure cash-flow predictability for hospitals, tying greater funding to higher Medicaid utilization to protect safety net hospitals. It also reclassifies certain hospitals to better align with payment and Medicaid needs, as well as offering tax exemptions and waivers to help hospitals recover from the effects of COVID-19.
“The Hospital Assessment program was an important support to hospital’s critically in need of additional funding during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This extension continues to support them on the path to recovery and offers expanded services and Medicaid support to more hospitals to ensure people across the state have access to affordable, high-quality health care.”
“The work that is being done in safety net hospitals and other hospitals that serve high percentages of Medicaid customers is so critical – particularly for historically under-served communities of color,” Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said. “The Hospital Assessment program reinforces a more equitable system of health care in Illinois, and ensures more resources are going to the facilities Medicaid customers choose for their care.”
The renewed Hospital Assessment establishes refined payment structures for each hospital class and maintains the existing assessment tax structure. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) collects a hospital assessment tax, the federal government provides matching funds, and the dollars are redistributed to hospitals based on the volume and acuity of the Medicaid patients they serve, as well as the class of hospital.
HFS worked with the General Assembly and stakeholders to distribute funding to hospitals across the state and prioritize hospitals that serve a high number of Medicaid patients. In order to come into compliance with a recent federal mandate, the Hospital Assessment program will gradually shift payments so that each year a larger share of the payments to hospitals is tied to the volume and acuity of Medicaid patients.
The continuation of the Hospital Assessment program recognizes the challenges faced by hospitals, especially small and rural hospitals, over the last several years.
To support recovery from COVID-19 losses, the renewed Hospital Assessment program waives $240,000,000 in the assessment imposed on hospitals, an amount replaced by General Revenue funds in the budget adopted by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Pritzker.
The current Hospital Assessment program, signed into law in 2020 to run through calendar year 2022, brought additional funding, and improved Medicaid responsiveness in the areas of Illinois affected most by COVID-19.
The amendments to the act recognize outpatient services to determine qualification as a high Medicaid hospital, allowing more hospitals to qualify. The reclassifications also establish a new class of small government hospitals, to better align their payments with their costs and federal limits. This class would consist of seventeen critical access hospitals and three small, rural hospitals. This is another commitment to expanding rural health care following other actions from the Pritzker administration on that front, including the recently signed bills SB3017 and SB1435.
The Hospital Assessment program also provides for more security and reliability to safety-net hospitals, hospitals primarily serving Medicaid patients, by adding a rate floor for safety net and critical access hospitals ensuring higher payments during periods of higher utilization.
“The Hospital Assessment program brings an additional $3.9 billion dollars into Illinois’ Medicaid program,” said House Majority Leader Greg Harris. “In addition to providing stability for our healthcare system during these unstable times, we are using these dollars to support trauma services, access to behavioral healthcare and reducing health disparities.”
“Safety net hospitals have historically provided excellent medical services despite having fewer resources and greater need, especially during this pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Health care is a right and not a privilege. By expanding the Hospital Assessment Program, Illinois is creating a broader pathway for better health outcomes by ensuring access to equitable, affordable health care.”
“The access that is being provided by hospitals that serve high percentages of Medicaid customers is so critical – particularly for historically under-served communities of color,” Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said. “The Hospital Assessment program prioritizes Medicaid-serving hospitals, especially safety net and critical access hospitals and also larger hospitals serving significant numbers of our customers, reinforcing a more equitable system of health care in Illinois, and ensuring more resources are going to the facilities which Medicaid customers choose for their care.”
“The renewed assessment program will provide greater certainty for hospitals as to the amount of the payment they will receive when they serve a Medicaid customer,” said Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights.) “The assessment program will support continued viability for safety-net hospitals and hospitals serving high percentages of Medicaid patients so they can continue their vital work in the communities they serve for the long term.”
“As a safety net hospital, we serve as frontline healthcare providers to some of the most vulnerable populations in Illinois, who often have no other place to turn for their care,” said Larry McCulley, CEO of Touchette Regional Hospital. “This legislation provides an increased investment in safety net hospitals, increasing their ability to provide the desperately needed mental and behavioral services in underserved communities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, safety net hospitals have seen a massive increase in the need for behavioral health services, one that is difficult for providers to sustain. Through this larger investment by the state, safety-net hospitals will be able to deliver greater access to the behavioral and mental health services that our communities critically need.”
“Communities we serve on the Northwest side of Chicago are in desperate need of expanded behavioral health services, with at least ten to fifteen patients present every day in the emergency department in need of behavioral health services,” said Edward Green, Chairman of the Board at Community First Medical Center. “The legislation signed today will allow our medical center to immediately establish a 24-bed inpatient behavioral health unit to help address the increased need for behavioral and mental health services we are seeing across the city. We want to extend our gratitude to the House and Senate leaders that worked to pass this legislation and to the Governor for his continued prioritization of expanding mental health across the state.”
“The hospital funding included in HB 1950 will go a long way to stabilizing hospitals so they can continue to fulfill their mission of caring for their communities. The reauthorization of the hospital assessment program, coupled with pandemic-related financial relief and the Safety Net HEAL program, will preserve access to healthcare and advance health equity in communities across the state,” said A.J. Wilhelmi, President & CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. “I’d like to thank Gov. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers for their support of Illinois hospitals, ensuring all Illinoisans—and particularly our most vulnerable populations—continue to receive quality, affordable care.”
“The updated hospital assessment, in combination with increased investments in safety net hospitals in the recently signed budget, provide a strong step forward in ensuring that community safety net hospitals have the resources necessary to provide essential care,” said Anne Igoe, Vice President, Health Systems, SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana.
* CMS…
A bill strengthening the Child Labor Law passed by the General Assembly was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker.
Senate Bill 3161 enhances the Child Labor Law and is the result of negotiations among the Illinois Department of Labor, the business community, worker advocacy groups and unions.
“Protecting the youngest and most vulnerable workers is critical to preventing exploitation. This bill gives the Illinois Department of Labor additional tools to ensure that child workers in the entertainment industry are safe on the job,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan.
The Child Labor Law regulates terms and conditions in which children can work. The changes enacted as part of SB 3161 provide IDOL with more discretion when it comes to protecting children in the entertainment industry from working through the overnight hours.
In fiscal year 2021, IDOL received 14,846 child employment certificates. During the same timeframe, IDOL received 488 requests for night waivers for minors working in motion picture or entertainment productions. Last year, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said there were more than 80 television and film productions in Illinois.
Employers will be required to provide additional justification for child performers expected to work between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. The waiver request must be made 72 hours prior to the work.
The amendment also allows child performers to work until 10 p.m. without a permit.
These changes will take effect January 1, 2023.
* Another one…
A bill strengthening the One Day Rest in Seven Act has been signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker.
Senate Bill 3146 is the result of negotiations among the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), the business community, community groups and unions.
“The changes will strengthen the One Day Rest in Seven Act and reflect the ongoing mission of the Illinois Department of Labor to protect the rights, wages and working conditions for people in Illinois,” said Illinois Department of Labor Acting Director Jane Flanagan.
The One Day Rest in Seven Act gives workers the right to a day of rest every workweek and meal or rest breaks during daily work shifts. The changes enacted as part of SB 3146 are intended to clarify the day of rest requirements for workers whose schedules don’t align with a Sunday to Saturday calendar week, and apply to any consecutive seven-day work period. The amendments also require an additional 20-minute break for workers during a 12-hour shift and clarify penalties for bad actors.
Employers with fewer than 25 employees that violate the act can face a penalty of $250 per offense and damages up to $250 per offense. Employers with 25 or more employees that violate the act can face a penalty of $500 per offense and damages up to $500 per offense.
Every employer covered by the Act must post a notice at the workplace to notify employees of their rights under this Act. IDOL will provide this notice on its website for employers to download and post.
The changes will take effect January 1, 2023, giving employers time to update meal and rest break policies and remain in compliance with the law.
…Adding… Another one…
State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) championed a new law to bring awareness to child care assistance opportunities for college students with dependents.
“A lack of resources and support systems can shut out parents from pursuing higher education,” Villanueva said. “Education is a fundamental right, and our state’s student-parent population should not be barred from exercising their right to building a better life for themselves and their children.”
The new law, previously Senate Bill 3149, enhances the effectiveness of assistance programs for students with dependents. It requires that students with dependents be notified of resources that aid them with parenthood, higher education and balancing the two. Senator Villanueva sponsored the measure in the state legislature to bring equity to students whose parenthood might put them at a financial and social disadvantage in higher education institutions.
“This law will help these students focus on their education by helping them achieve independence and stability,” Villanueva said. “Setting them up for success at home increases their chances at succeeding in school and beyond.”
This measure was signed into law Friday.
…Adding… Another…
Governor JB Pritzker today signed two bills designed to provide better access to healthcare for rural Illinoisans. SB3017 amends the Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act to address the shortage of healthcare providers, particularly for obstetrical services, in rural committees. SB1435 amends hospital licensing procedures to clear the way for health center mergers and increased healthcare coordination in rural districts.
“From our telehealth expansions to our Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives, we’re shaping Illinois into a leader in tackling systemic inequities in our rural healthcare systems,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I want to thank Senator Turner and Representatives Yednock and Rezin for bringing us closer to a world where all Illinoisans have the easy and affordable healthcare access they deserve.”
The amended Loan Repayment Assistance Act expands the definition of a “designated shortage area” to include any Medicaid-accepting health provider and expands the eligibility for loan repayment to more physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physicians’ assistants. These expansions are targeted towards attracting more qualified health care professionals to work in rural areas lacking adequate access to care.
SB1425 allows any hospital in a county of fewer than 125,000 inhabitants to apply to the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct operations from multiple locations within contiguous counties under one license. As a result of the bill, St. Margaret’s Health- Spring Valley will have a path to merge with St. Margaret’s Health- Peru. This will increase healthcare coordination across rural counties and improve quality of care for patients in these systems.
According to a University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center study, rural populations are typically older and have more health needs than those living in urban areas despite facing transportation and coverage shortages. These disparities are particularly acute for patients using Medicare. Rural residents need accessible health care options without the long delays and financial burden of extended travel.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation in 2021 that established the Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program, which encourages healthcare providers to partner together to develop innovative solutions for meeting healthcare needs in their communities and closing gaps that exist in healthcare delivery across the state. In July, the administration announced roughly $94 million in funding to eight innovative collaborations.
SB3107 and SB1435 target these underserved areas to improve healthcare for rural Illinoisans. Both bills are effective immediately.
Newman, who upset anti-abortion rights House veteran Dan Lipinski two years ago, is hitting the issue hard again, even though Casten—unlike Lipinski—says he’s pro-choice.
In an opinion piece written for CNN a few days ago, Newman wrote about her experience in having an abortion at age 19, when she was a college student “already working two jobs, which hardly covered enough money to support myself.” Beyond that, she wrote, “As a teenager barely out of childhood myself, I simply was not ready to take on the monumental responsibility of becoming a parent.”
Newman picks up that theme in a new campaign ad that starts airing on cable TV today. She then suggests she can be trusted on the issue unlike Casten, who “voted for anti-choice Republicans like George (H.W.) Bush.”
Casten’s campaign responds that he indeed did favor Bush for a variety of reasons—two decades ago—but that his and Newman’s views on abortion rights are “identical.”
There was a difference between HW and W, but the ad doesn’t specify that.
When I was 19 I made the very difficult decision to have an abortion. I just wasn’t ready to start my family. I’ve fought for women’s reproductive rights for 30 years and I’m outraged that this fundamental right is being taken away. In 2020, I beat one of the last anti-choice Democrats in Congress. My opponent now is Sean Casted, who voted for anti-choice Republicans like George Bush. I’m Congresswoman Marie Newman and I approved this message to ask one question: With the stakes this high, who do you trust?
Discuss.
…Adding… Jacob Vurpillat at the Casten campaign…
Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and Marcie Love, the founder of Personal PAC, endorsed Congressman Casten not only because of his 100% pro-choice voting record in Congress, but also because they know he will never hesitate to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. It is disappointing to see our opponent try to mislead voters about an issue they are in total agreement on.
…Adding… The Casten campaign saw some of the confusion in comments and clarified that Casten voted for HW in 1992.
* An email from River Cities’ Reader Publisher Todd McGreevy…
Hello Rich,
I hope this finds you well. Been a long time since we’ve connected.
We’re looking to query the candidates for senate and house seats in the Illinois Quad Cities with insightful questions that we will publish their answers to in our June print edition, out June 2.
Do you have any ideas, comments or specific questions you think we should include in said candidate questionnaire?
* John Noverini, a Republican candidate in the Illinois Supreme Court’s 2nd District, notified the Board of Elections this week that he’d busted the campaign contribution caps with the accumulation of eight separate contributions/loans….
Noverini, who presides over branch court in Elgin, loaned his campaign fund $95,000 in May. He served on the County Board as a Republican before switching to the Democrats. Noverini has since won retention bids. He already has a website up bearing the slogan: “Experience. Integrity. Independence.”
Moreover, Noverini is a bold and independent risk-taker who does not allow establishment politicians to persuade him from undertaking a challenging election contest. For example, in his 2008 judicial election, Noverini, despite not having prior judicial service defeated the appointed office-holder. In unseating the then-incumbent, Noverini, with bipartisan support, became one of the first Democratic judicial candidates to win in Kane County. In the 2014 and 2020 nonpartisan retention elections Judge Noverini was overwhelmingly retained by the voters.
As a conservative, Noverini was actively engaged in Republican party politics in the past, having been elected as a precinct committeeman (1996-2006) and having been elected chairman of the Dundee Township Republicans in 2004 and in 2006.
Additionally, Noverini has a long record of public service, which began with serving on the Carpentersville Zoning Board of Appeals and the Village of Carpentersville Board. He later served as a county legislative-branch official, in that he was elected as a Republican candidate to the Kane County Board and also the Kane County Forest Preserve Commission in both 2002 and 2006. […]
In seeking the Republican nomination for Supreme Court, Noverini is coming home to the party that is aligned with his core values. While the Democratic party has so dramatically shifted to the left in recent years, Judge Noverini’s conservative principles and personal integrity have remained constant, such that he welcomes a return to his roots in the Republican party and looks forward to an enthusiastic, vigorous and engaging campaign.
“He is a godly man.” Also, notice the obvious edit in that video. Weird.
* Anyway, this action busts the caps for all candidates in that district, including for Democrats Liz Rochford and Nancy Rotering. Hold onto your hats.
…Adding… Oops on my part. From Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections…
Rich — Not a big deal but the contribution limits in the Second Supreme Court vacancy were actually lifted April 15 when Daniel Shanes filed the attached Notice of Self Funding.
You can tell a lot about someone based on their friends. Take Richard Irvin. The real Richard Irvin is a lifelong liberal Democrat. Irvin voted for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary for President. Irvin is so liberal that he’s been a strong supporter of Lori Lightfoot. And Irvin called JB Pritzker a ‘great leader’ and a ‘great friend.’ So, the next time you see Richard Irvin’s TV ads, remember, Richard Irvin is a lifelong liberal you just can’t trust.
The ad has been spotted on both cable and Chicago broadcast.
The $1.8 million ad buy set to begin across Illinois on Monday will mark the first TV commercials that Bailey has aired in the Chicago area.
“We’re turning up the heat,” DeBose said.
The latest contribution from Uihlein brings his contributions to Bailey’s campaign to more than $6 million. But that still pales in comparison to the competing largesse from hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who so far is bankrolling Irvin’s bid for governor to the tune of $45 million.
* I told you late Friday afternoon that the governor had signed a bunch of bills. Press releases started arriving immediately and have continued until today. So in reverse order received, here they are…
The State of Illinois will be prohibited from financially supporting standardized tests for young students under a new law spearheaded by state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, D-Chicago.
“Formal testing procedures do not effectively measure what our youngest students under the age of 8 can or cannot do,” LaPointe said. “Instead, these tests inappropriately change classroom focus and can be a cause of inequity in our education system. This new law will help redirect classroom attention toward more proven learning strategies.”
LaPointe and Pacione-Zayas’ Senate Bill 3986 creates the “Too Young to Test Act.” Under the measure, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is specifically prohibited from developing, purchasing or requiring a school district to administer, develop or purchase a standardized assessment for students in grade levels prekindergarten through second grade, unless for diagnostic or screening purposes. The proposal came in response to consideration from ISBE to begin testing younger grades in math and reading, despite education advocates, including the Illinois Families for Public Schools, noting that young children develop rapidly in fits and starts, making standardized tests unreliable.
“I appreciate Senator Pacione-Zayas’ leadership on this topic, and I’m thankful for the hard work parents, teachers and advocates put toward reaching this moment,” LaPointe said. “We must continue to focus on learning strategies that are evidence-based, and ensure that all students – regardless of background – receive the attention and investment they deserve to succeed.”
* Villa…
Thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa, older LGBTQ adults across Illinois will have expanded advocacy at the state level to address disparities in treatment, care and overall well-being.
“No one should experience discrimination when it comes to the care and resources available to them, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “For far too long, though, that hasn’t been the case. This law helps to make right generations of disparity.”
Previously Senate Bill 3490, the new law creates the Commission on LGBTQ Aging, adds LGBTQ representation to the Council on Aging, requires the Department of Aging to designate an LGBTQ Older Adult Advocate, and creates an LGBTQ Older Adult Curriculum & Training Program for Department of Aging.
LGBTQ people of all ages have historically faced unique challenges rooted in discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, including a lack of legal and social recognition and reduced access to inclusive services and affirming care.
This is especially significant for those living with HIV. According to the CDC, nearly half of people in the United States living with diagnosed HIV are 50 and older, meaning that access to specialized care is necessary for many older adults.
“The LGBTQ community has historically overcome incredible adversity, and this law creates equity and prevents discrimination when it comes to necessary care,” Villa said. “They deserve the same access to support and resources everyone else has, and I’m proud to help ensure they do.”
The legislation goes into immediate effect.
* Koehler…
Illinoisans will now have an added incentive to purchase vehicles manufactured in-state thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler.
“We have a highly skilled manufacturing workforce that produces reliable, high-quality vehicles right here in Illinois,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “By offering a rebate on the purchase of vehicles manufactured in-state, we put money back in the pockets of our consumers and spur our local economies.”
Illinoisans purchasing cars and passenger trucks manufactured in-state will have the opportunity to apply for a $25 rebate on the title under Senate Bill 3609. Consumers would have one year from the month the vehicle was manufactured to apply for the rebate.
“When we encourage the purchase of goods manufactured here in Illinois, we support good-paying jobs across our state and keep our local economies healthy,” said State Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea), House sponsor of the bill. “I am proud to support our manufacturers through this legislation.”
The legislation will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Simmons…
To better advocate for the interests of children with incarcerated parents in Illinois, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) is leading a measure to create the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents.
“Today in Illinois, nearly 200,000 children – or one in every 20 – have had a parent in jail or prison. We need to improve the system so that the bond between a parent and their child is honored and strengthened despite the incarceration.”
The Commission, housed within the Department of Human Services, will be tasked with implementing and coordinating the recommendations of the Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents within state agencies. The task force, created in 2020 will propose the changes, and the Commission will work with agencies on how to properly implement the changes.
Children whose parents are incarcerated can experience multiple negative effects such as greater mental health symptoms, difficulty with school, housing instability, and overall trauma.
“I am so glad we passed this legislation and look forward to working with House sponsor Rep. Delia Ramirez, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, and the other advocates and stakeholders who worked hard on this effort to implement the commission, said Simmons. We will see this work through so children of incarcerated parents can maintain the most important relationship they have and have their overall needs met across the entire system.”
House Bill 5525 was signed into law on Friday and takes effect on January 1st, 2023.
* Fine…
Thanks to a new law introduced by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), necessary funding for the Housing Authority of Cook County will be more accessible to invest in essential housing programs for the community.
“Funding affordable housing in Cook County is vital for many low-income families,” Fine said. “This law will help level the playing field so more land used to build affordable housing can be acquired sooner—allowing more Cook County residents to participate in these essential programs.”
Before this legislation, the Housing Authority of Cook County struggled to compete with for-profit developers when attempting to purchase property, while also having to wait for grant funding to pay for their investments. The trust fund will ensure vital developments, such as conventional public housing programs and rental assistance for families, seniors, and people with disabilities, are able to be completed sooner because the housing authority has direct access to funding.
“Housing costs are some of the biggest concerns facing people in our communities,” Fine said. “This law will ensure more people have access to affordable housing options.”
House Bill 5018 was signed into law May 13, 2022. It goes into effect immediately.
* Crowe…
To offer support to mothers who are survivors of sexual abuse during childbirth, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe passed a law to allow parents to remove the physician’s name from a copy of the child’s birth certificate.
“When giving birth, women trust their physician to offer support, guidance and encouragement on one of the happiest, most memorable days of her life,” said Crowe (D-Glen Carbon). “Unfortunately, there are several cases where mothers endure sexual assault and abuse in the process, and this law works to remove the disgraced physician’s name from a copy of the child’s birth certificate.”
In Illinois, the short form birth certificate does not include the physician’s name. Under Crowe’s proposal, a parent or adult-age child can request a long form birth certificate with the physician’s name removed. The redacted certified copy of the birth certificate does not replace the original certificate.
“Mothers who endure sexual abuse during childbirth are oftentimes hesitant to speak out, yet they endure longstanding, emotional trauma,” Crowe said. “To offer a small sense of relief, this law empowers survivors to receive a certificate free from shame and allow an opportunity to recover, process and heal.”
The law, filed under Senate Bill 3163, is effective Jan. 1, 2023.
* Simmons…
To protect communities across Illinois from the deadly impact of lead, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passed a law signed on Friday to strengthen lead mitigation procedures.
“Almost every community across the state is affected by lead in the water supply,” said Simmons. “This law provides an effective and expeditious solution to a decades-long problem that systemically affects low-income communities and communities of color.”
House Bill 4369 will require the Illinois Department of Public Health to follow up on lead mitigation notices by carrying out inspections to ensure the work has been completed. The past law merely permitted an inspection, while this measure will require and enforce lead mitigation efforts.
Lead is a heavy metal and suspected carcinogen that was frequently used in paint, plumbing materials, and many other items before the 1980s. Today, it is mostly found in aging water pipes, contaminated soil, and peeling paint on windows, baseboards, trim, and doors. No amount of lead exposure is considered safe for children or adults.
“Removing lead from all homes and facilities is long overdue and is a critical step toward prioritizing the overall health and safety of people across the state,” Simmons said.
House Bill 4369 was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker on Friday and takes effect on January 1st, 2023.
* Fine…
Private insurance will now cover specialized care for children living with serious illnesses while allowing the child to seek additional treatments, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that was recently signed into law.
“In Illinois, seriously ill children deserve consistency in high quality, child-centered care regardless of where they live and whether they have public or private health insurance,” Fine said. “This law will allow for more families to access this critical care without having to worry whether or not their insurance will cover the treatments.”
Under Fine’s law, patients with private insurance will now be covered for pediatric palliative care. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses focused on providing relief from symptoms and improving quality of life with the medical condition. Some forms of this care include expert management of physical and emotional symptoms, as well as patient and family counseling.
Many patients who have access to this type of treatment see less emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays, and experience an improved wellbeing for themselves and their families. Despite these benefits, only 1% of the 2,800 children in Illinois living with chronic illness currently have access to this treatment.
Sen. Fine is a longtime advocate of increasing accessibility of pediatric palliative care. In 2021, while working with advocates like the Greater Illinois Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition, she sponsored a measure requiring Medicaid to cover pediatric palliative care.
“For children living with serious illness, palliative care is vital in keeping children out of the hospital and decreasing family stress. This results in improved quality of life for the patient and his or her entire family,” Fine said. “This law is crucial to ensure seriously ill children in Illinois and their families have the care and support that they deserve.”
Senate Bill 3819 was signed into law May 13, 2022. It goes into effect January 1, 2023.
* Villanueva…
State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) championed an initiative to bring additional training requirements on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for emergency medical service providers that became law Friday.
“Attending to patients with dementia requires heightened analysis of the current state of the individual and careful consideration for appropriate care,” Villanueva said. “An impaired ability to recall information, make decisions and think critically is common among the many types of dementias, making it imperative that our medical services personnel are well-equipped to approach and handle these situations.”
This spring session with the help of the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, Senator Villanueva introduced House Bill 4388, which sets training guidelines for emergency medical services personnel to help them better serve patients with dementia. The new law requires training on the assessment, diagnosis and care of dementia after each renewal of one’s EMS license. This training will also include dementia-effective communication strategies for the betterment of interactions between EMS personnel and people with dementia.
“For our medical services workers, responding to emergency situations doesn’t always mean performing life-saving measures and transporting injured people to proper medical facilities,” Villanueva said. “Sometimes their service takes the form of caregiving to remove the dangers a person’s condition poses to them in the moment, which takes quality training on the evaluation of a variety of diseases and conditions.”
The law takes effect immediately.
* Villa…
Thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa, Illinois visitors and out-of-state students will soon be able to continue to receive their established therapeutic services via telehealth from an out-of-state certified social worker.
“We have already taken great strides toward mental health accessibility here in Illinois,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “This is another important step to ensure these vital resources are available to everyone in our state, resident or otherwise.”
House Bill 4797 will allow non-residents and visitors to Illinois, such as university students, to continue to receive the care they need from their trusted and established therapists. Under previous law, clinicians were required to be licensed in the state where their client is physically located at the time of care, not the state where they reside.
“Finding a therapist is not a one-size-fits-all situation, and it’s important that those in need are able to continue their established relationships with trusted mental health professionals,” said Villa.
The legislation was signed on Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Koehler…
Motorcyclists across the state have a new incentive to purchase electric motorcycles and keep Illinois on track toward a cleaner, more sustainable future thanks to a new law by State Senator Dave Koehler.
“Making electric vehicles accessible and affordable for all Illinoisans is a great way to promote sustainability,” said Koehler (D-Peoria), who recently received a “Senator of the Year” award from ABATE Illinois. “By offering the same incentives for electric motorcycles that we do for other types of electric vehicles, we’re improving Illinois’ relationship with greener energy and supporting multiple modes of transportation.”
Senate Bill 2940 expands the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act of 2021 to make highway-legal electric motorcycles eligible for a $1,500 electric vehicle rebate. This is an expansion of the rebate in the original legislation that incentivized the purchase of new and used electric vehicles in Illinois but excluded electric motorcycles. ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education), the state’s largest motorcycle advocacy group, played a large role in drafting the legislation.
“As we work to transition to more sustainable options across the board, we have to ensure everyone is included in the conversation,” said State Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea), House sponsor of the bill. “By offering the same incentive to motorcyclists that we have to Illinoisans who choose other modes of transportation, we are ensuring not only accessibility and affordability, but sustainability for everyone.”
The legislation is effective immediately.
* Ellman…
Dedicated license plates will soon be available to more members of Gold Star Families in Illinois thanks to a new law by State Senator Laura Ellman signed on Friday.
“When brave men and women put their lives on the line to defend our country, their families make great sacrifices as well—Gold Star Families sacrificing the most of all,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “I was proud to partner with dedicated legislators and advocates from across the state to pass this law ensuring all members of Gold Star Families receive the recognition and thanks they so rightfully deserve.”
House Bill 5078 expands the current eligibility list for Gold Star Family license plates to include stepchildren, adopted children and half-siblings of veterans who lost their lives serving in a branch of the United States Armed Forces, and waives the registration fee for children in Gold Star Families.
“There’s no way we can ever repay our debt to the families of Gold Star service members,” said State Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Aurora). “But it’s important that we do what we can to show our respect and remember their sacrifice. This legislation will properly align our state law with language used by the Department of Defense, and ensure appropriate individuals receive the recognition they deserve. All of our Gold Star families are in my thoughts – we can never forget them.”
The legislation goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.
* Hunter…
Access to low cost prescription drugs will be protected thanks to a measure led by State Senator Mattie Hunter that was signed into law Friday.
While the average adult spends $177 out of pocket on prescription drug annually, affordability is a bigger issue for those who are older, taking four or more prescription medicines, have chronic conditions or are low-income.
“People should not have to spend hundreds of dollars in order to receive their prescription,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “People living with diseases and disorders need access to medication, and we have to make it affordable for them.”
The new law protects access to low cost “340B” prescription drugs for uninsured and low-income patients by prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers and third party payers from using certain contractual provisions in contracts they enter into with safety-net healthcare providers.
The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program allows entities to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.
“Health care is a right, and that includes access to prescription drugs,” Hunter said. “The Drug Pricing Program was created to lower medication costs for those that need it, and this measure reinforces that.”
Similar measures have been adopted in 16 other states.
Due to an expanding aging population and an increase in chronic illness, health care costs in America have risen dramatically over the years, with costs projected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028. Illinois spends more on prescription drugs than majority of the nation, spending of a total of $18.64 billion in 2019.
House Bill 4595 is effective July 1, 2022.
* Martwick…
Widows of Chicago firefighters and police are one step closer to receiving additional support after a measure advanced by State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) was signed into law.
“Despite the false narrative of an overgenerous pension system, widows of Chicago first responders have been living with great financial hardship for decades,” Martwick said. “This adjustment is essential if we are going to support the widows of our Chicago firefighters and police officers who put themselves in the line of duty to keep all of us safe. I’m pleased that we are taking this small step to support the families who sacrifice so much for all of us.”
The new law will change the Chicago police and Chicago firefighter articles of the Illinois Pension Code to increase the minimum annuity for widows to no less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. It is currently set at 125%. In 2022, the Federal Poverty line is set at a mere $13,590 for a single person. This measure will ensure that if a Chicago firefighter or police officer dies in the line of duty, the widow’s annuity could not fall below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level for that family.
Earlier this year, seven Chicago firefighters were injured in a house fire in the Roseland neighborhood caused by a “flashover” when crews were battling the flames. Incidents like these underscore the dangers that first responders encounter on the job and the concern that their loved ones have when they leave the house every day to go to work.
“The loss of a loved one who sacrificed so much to serve their community is unimaginable and their family shouldn’t have to struggle financially as a result,” Martwick said. “This reform aims to tackle the disparity that comes with this tragedy and provide basic dignity to the families who have lost a loved one.”
Senate Bill 4053 was signed into law on Friday and takes effect immediately.
* Republican gubernatorial hopeful Jesse Sullivan at a Saturday candidates’ forum in Belleville…
Sullivan believes the election is not “just a partisan battle” between Democrats and Republicans, but a “battle around our core values, a spiritual battle.” He believes Republicans are losing because “everyone buys into this idea of the separation of church and state.” Sullivan said he believes “faith values can insert themselves into government and they’re supposed to, and God belongs at the center of our politics.”
You can negotiate the substance of bills. You cannot negotiate the substance of someone else’s religious beliefs. And which God should be at the center of our politics?
* Also from the same forum, following this logic would lead one to conclude that Sen. Darren Bailey believes that all regulatory and criminal laws are needless…
Asked about COVID-19 mandates, Bailey said he believes the role of government is to educate, inform and provide, but should leave it up to “we the people to decide how we’re going to live.”
Sanctuary city refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government’s effort to enforce immigration law.
Irvin said that Aurora joins with Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in, “prohibiting the use of our resources to aid or support ICE in its enforcement activities.”
I do not support sanctuary cities. Aurora is not a sanctuary city. And when I’m governor, Illinois will not be a sanctuary state.
Sure, Jan.
* Irvin campaign…
On Friday, as the Democratic Governors Association doubled down on a multi-million dollar campaign to stop Aurora Mayor and Republican candidate Richard Irvin from becoming the next governor of Illinois, Pritzker finally admitted to reporters that he is personally involved in the pro-Bailey, anti-Irvin DGA television ads. While Pritzker tried to walk his comment back, the DGA later defended its coordination with Pritzker, telling the media that the ads “do not qualify as an ‘independent expenditure.’”
Pritzker’s decision to go all-in to support Darren Bailey in the Republican primary highlights the clear contrast between Republican Irvin and Democrat Pritzker. Pritzker pushed the largest income tax hike in Illinois history, signed the most pro-criminal law in state history and personally supported Mike Madigan’s criminal enterprise. Irvin, a combat veteran, former criminal prosecutor and successful mayor of Illinois’ second-largest city, lowered property taxes every year he was mayor, personally put violent criminals behind bars and defeated Madigan’s criminal enterprise when he ran for mayor.
Pritzker and Bailey, of course, have one big thing in common: they love to raise taxes. In a state with highest property taxes, Bailey voted to raise property taxes 13 times. Aurora property taxes, on the other hand, went down every year Irvin was mayor – because unlike tax-and-spend Pritzker and Bailey, Irvin cut spending and delivered economic growth.
In case you missed it, the Irvin campaign launched a new ad, “Proud,” on Friday to ensure Republican voters know that Pritzker is supporting Bailey, a fellow tax hiker, fearing he will lose re-election if he faces a proven tax-cutter and crime-fighter in Irvin.
— Catalina Lauf has been endorsed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik’s (N.Y.) Elevate PAC, or E-PAC. Lauf is running in the Republican primary for the 11th Congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. Bill Foster.
— Former Democratic state Rep. Litesa Wallace has been endorsed by the progressive Our Revolution Illinois in her bid for the 17th Congressional District.
— Eric Sorensen has been endorsed by Equality PAC Co-Chairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in his bid for IL-17.
— John Fritchey has been endorsed by Congressman Chuy Garcia in his bid for judge in the 8th Subcircuit. Fritchey is a former state rep who also worked with Garcia when they were both Cook County commissioners.
* Whew. This Illinois US Senate candidate is quite something…
This Friday, May 20th in the Park Ridge/ Niles area, my Fundraiser for US Senate featuring one of most important Patriots in the History of Our Republic, General Michael Flynn, will take place. pic.twitter.com/hiyA0DaPwV
— Bobby Piton, 2022 US Senate Candidate -State of IL (@UAmerica333) May 16, 2022
Michigan’s court seats are among the top priorities for the Republican State Leadership Committee, which plans to spend more than $5 million this year on state court races, a record for the group, said spokesman Andrew Romeo.
The group’s other priorities include the races in North Carolina as well as those in Illinois and Ohio — primarily to better position Republicans in the fights over drawing state legislative and congressional boundaries.
“People used to think redistricting was a 10-year fight,” Romeo said. “Now it’s going to be a battle every election cycle because there’s critical supreme court races every election cycle that have the ability to impact redistricting.”
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is granting the State of Illinois with $5.4 million in funding to support and expand access to equitable and affordable family planning services for low-income populations across Illinois.
Governor JB Pritzker made the announcement on Monday, sharing that in addition to this federal grant there is also $5.8 million in state general revenue funds, meaning the Illinois Family Planning Program will provide approximately $11.2 million in funding in state Fiscal Year 2023.
The funds will be divided among 29 delegate agencies that operate 98 family planning clinics throughout the state.
With the new HHS grant the Illinois Department of Public Health will be able to support access to Title X services under the Illinois Family Planning Program that were being restricted under the previous federal administration.
Under the previous federal administration a “gag rule” was imposed to block family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion providers.
“Now that the Biden administration has reversed Trump’s gag rule, I am proud to announce we have rejoined the federal Title X program and we’re putting record funding toward our Illinois Family Planning Program,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let this record-breaking investment remind women that the state of Illinois trusts you to make your own choices. To choose what contraceptives are right for you. To choose whether you want to be a parent or not. And we will make sure that—on top of protecting your right to choose—you get the care that you deserve.”
Governor Pritzker announced in July 2019 that the State of Illinois would forgo federal Title X funding in response to the rule imposed by the Trump Administration that banned federal funding for contraceptives for low-income people, unless grant recipients pledged not to counsel on abortion options or refer to abortion services.
“Countless vulnerable people lost a lifeline when Title X funding was lost due to the Trump administration’s gag rule, and the restoration of that funding is now more important than ever as our constitutional right to bodily autonomy is under attack,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This $11.2 in critical funding is a step forward in ensuring people receive the reproductive care they need, and it will build on our commitment of a safe, welcoming Illinois for all.”
…Adding… DGA…
Last week, uber-conservative candidate Darren Bailey announced former Trump advisor Steve Cortes’ support of his campaign, solidifying Bailey’s stance as the most conservative, extreme candidate in this race.
On Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Cortes said: “State Senator Darren Bailey is the man whom I’m supporting … He’s an America-first stalwart and fighter. He was a Trump delegate in 2020 — so Darren Bailey should prevail in this primary.”
That’s coming from a guy who calls himself an “American nationalist,” who was sacked from Newsmax after refusing to follow their vaccination policy, and who loudly voiced his disappointment that Trump wasn’t fascist enough as president.
The far-rights of the far-right think Bailey is the true conservative for Illinois. And Bailey’s embracing it wholeheartedly as he angles for Trump’s endorsement after meeting with the former president in Mar-a-Lago last month.
“This endorsement from one of Trump’s cronies further confirms what we already knew to be true: Darren Bailey is the uber-conservative extremist candidate in this race,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “With a potential endorsement from Trump himself looming and new polling showing the matchup between Bailey and Richard Irvin closer than ever, the GOP primary is a total toss-up. But one thing is crystal clear: neither of these top contenders has Illinoisans’ best interests at heart.”
…Adding… IEA…
Today, U. S. Congressman Sean Casten announced that the Illinois Education Association (IEA) has endorsed him for re-election. IEA, one of the largest unions in Illinois with more than 135,000 educators across the state, is full-heartedly supporting Rep. Casten in the Democratic primary for Illinois’s 6th Congressional District. As a tireless advocate for teachers and students, Sean is proud of his 100% pro-public education voting record and honored to have IEA’s support.
* Another endorsement…
Nabeela Syed, the frontrunner in the Democratic Primary to take on incumbent Republican State Representative Chris Bos of Lake Zurich, continues to add support over her opponent in the June 28 Democratic Primary Election.
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL4) made the following statement when releasing his endorsement: “While the Illinois General Assembly is one of the more diverse state legislatures across the country, there is still more work to be done. By adding Nabeela Syed to the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives, we can further our need for more voices from different backgrounds but also add a champion for welcoming and inclusive policies. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be a fierce advocate for northwest suburban families and stand up for all of her constituents.”
* In a roundabout way, and after much pressing, Richard Irvin essentially admitted to WJPF’s Tom Miller today that he voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020…
Tom Miller: You know, it’s interesting, Richard, because I’m a recipient of much of your mailers, I get them literally, like it seems like every other day at this point. And, you know, do you find it interesting that the last presidential election is playing such a large role in our governor’s election, in particular, a TV station releasing some [texts] from you? Are you surprised by the fact that this Trump election was playing such a large role in our governor’s election this year?
Richard Irvin: You know, I’m disheartened by it. But I’m not surprised by it, because the fact is, this this pleases JB Pritzker. There’s nothing more that would please JB Pritzker than us talking about the White House and national politics versus focusing on his failures in the state of Illinois. Simple as that. You know, as long as we’re talking about things that don’t matter, that aren’t priority to the residents. And those priority things are the things that I hear about every time I travel throughout the state. That crime is out of control, that tax and wasteful spending is out of control, taxes are too high, that corruption is out of control. If we don’t talk about those things that are pertinent to our residents, and we get off the subject talking about national politics and the White House, then we don’t address the issues and JB Pritzker wins. That’s exactly what he wants. What we have to do is refocus and talk about those things that are important now, right now, to the residents in the state of Illinois for us to move forward as a state and to progress and to get jobs back in areas that needed most to reduce taxes so we don’t constantly lose businesses and residents to our border border states or all the other 49 states to make sure we get rid of this Pritzker-Madigan corruption that actually prevents us from moving forward. You know, as the sixth largest state in the union, we’ve got to focus on what residents, what they care about today. I was down south talking to some folks in in Southern Illinois, that said the meth problem in Illinois, as drugs come up, you know, across the border is terrible. And they can no longer leave their their doors locked at night because kids in their neighborhood that were kids that they knew at one time, little kids nice kids are now meth heads and breaking into their homes and stealing stuff. That’s in Southern Illinois. Same thing in Chicagoland, same thing in central Illinois. Crime is out of control, you gotta address it head on.
Tom Miller: But Richard, you’re the one sending out the mailings about the Trump, on Bailey not voting for Trump. You’re the one sending those emails, those messages out.
Richard Irvin: Listen when we, you know, I was attacked by my opponents, all of my opponents even before I got into this campaign, even before I got into this race for governor. And I think it’s important that we make everyone’s record clear. That’s what this is about, comparing records in this primary, comparing records. So we can determine who the best person is for the job. Now, what would my opponents don’t want to talk about, they don’t want to talk about the fact that I’m a combat veteran and served our country proud of the United States Army, and in the first Gulf War. They don’t want to talk about thata. They don’t want to talk about the fact that I’m a former prosecutor and I personally put criminals behind bars, and that I’m the one most equipped to be able to deal with the crime that’s running rampant throughout our state. They don’t want to talk about the fact that I’m the mayor of the second largest city in the state of Illinois, with a proven record of supporting our men and women of law enforcement, reducing taxes for our residents, attracting businesses, attracting new residents to things that our state of Illinois needs. You know, my opponents want to point out other things about me. So it’s important that I point out parts of their records. Not that it’s pertinent to the campaign, but I got to point their records out so everybody knows all of our records.
Tom Miller: Right. Right. So can I ask you who you voted for in the last presidential election? We can be done with this subject and move back on to the important items.
Richard Irvin: Listen, that’s the point. That’s exactly what JB Pritzker wants to be talking about. Want to be talking about who we voted for in the last election and what happened yesterday instead of what’s going on now and what’s going to happen tomorrow. What’s gonna happen with the state of Illinois, you know, why are we focused on, you know, the things that, you know, that are important to right now? And I don’t want to get into that.
Tom Miller: Right. Well, that’s why I wanted to ask so we could be done with it, hopefully and move on. That’s why I asked.
Richard Irvin: Listen, I’m a Republican. In the general election, I always vote Republican.
Durkin said $3 billion in projects for only districts with Democratic lawmakers is wrong, and a reminder of how Madigan ran things for decades as House Speaker.
Spending in that section includes $8 million for Navy Pier, $15 million for the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is in a House district represented by the late Donald Stephens’ son, Rep. Bradley Stephens (R-Rosemont). I mean, yeah, it’s in a Democratic Senate district, but Brad is a Republican.
Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed legislation that will give drivers greater protection from unscrupulous towing companies.
The legislation was an amendment to Illinois House Bill 3124. It calls for a “tow rotation list,” in which essentially, police agencies will call an approved list of tow companies whenever there’s an accident.
If a random tow driver pulls up on the scene and wasn’t requested by the owner of the car or officer, they will not be authorized to tow the vehicle.
The legislation requires any towing service working within the jurisdiction of a given police agency to submit an application for inclusion on that police agency’s tow rotation list.
Tow drivers will also need to go through background checks, insurance, and licensing.
This was a direct result of the CBS 2 investigators’ reporting on the issue.
For years, the CBS 2 Investigators have exposed how private tow companies would deliberately hold vehicles. We uncovered in six months how one tow company racked up $150,000 with just 54 invoices.
[Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza] has banned local governments from using a state program to collect debt from students who have been ticketed for truancy, eliminating a burden for families struggling to pay steep fines.
A number of school districts around the state, meanwhile, have begun to scale back and reevaluate when to involve law enforcement in student discipline, among them a suburban Chicago high school where Black students have been disproportionately ticketed. That school, Bloom Trail High School in Steger, said Thursday that it will stop asking police to ticket students and move to other methods of discipline.
The moves come after an investigation by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica, “The Price Kids Pay,” found that school officials and police were working together to ticket students for misbehavior at school, resulting in fines that could cost hundreds of dollars per ticket. When students or their families failed to pay, local governments sometimes turned to the state for help collecting the money.
The state told municipalities that beginning June 11 they no longer may submit truancy ticket debt for collections, according to an email from the Illinois comptroller’s office to municipalities that participate in the state’s Local Debt Recovery Program. Through that program, the state helps local governments collect on unpaid penalties for ordinance violations, unpaid water and sewer bills and other municipal debts by withholding money from people’s tax refunds, their lottery winnings or even their paychecks if they are state employees.
The Governor’s office moved out of the James R. Thompson Center Friday, as many staffers emptying the 16th floor say they are happy to move on.
Since 1985, the postmodern Thompson Center has loomed above Clark Street like a giant greenhouse. Inside, even tourists are saying what state employees have said for decades: the building needs a major update.
“We were just talking about how kind of creepy it feels inside actually,” Korina Martin, a tourist from Boston said.
For the Governor’s Chief of Staff, it feels like a building lost in time.
“If you could picture you grandparent’s rec room like circa 1975 where nothing has been changed or updated. It’s too hot in the summertime, it’s too cold in the wintertime,” Anne Caprara said.
Next Friday is the last day an IL Gov’s Office will occupy the 16th floor of the James R Thompson Center. In honor of that I will be using this thread to amplify the things we will miss on behalf of the generations of state employees who occupied these walls. First entry…this: pic.twitter.com/Iwr5HtuvVa
This morning, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 announced its endorsements in Illinois’ June 28th Primary Election. Among the federal, statewide, and state legislative endorsements, Local 150 endorsed Democrat JB Pritzker and Republican Richard Irvin in their respective races for Governor.
Local 150 President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney issued the following statement:
“Local 150’s membership in Illinois is politically diverse, with nearly an even split of members who identify as Republican and Democrats. We aim to provide our members with options of candidates who will represent their beliefs on various issues without threatening their paychecks, their rights as workers, or their union.
“Both J.B. Pritzker and Richard Irvin have demonstrated a commitment to supporting Illinois workers, investing in our infrastructure, and promoting policies that grow the middle class. Irvin has championed local ordinances that promote qualified contractors, encourage skill training, and protect workers’ rights. Pritzker has supported the strengthening of Illinois’ prevailing wage laws, fought back against economically harmful anti-worker ordinances, and signed the largest infrastructure funding bill in Illinois’ history.
“I am proud to announce our endorsement of both candidates, as well as nearly 160 other candidates running for federal, statewide, or legislative office in Illinois.”
The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 is a labor union representing 23,000 working men and women in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. Local 150 represents workers in construction and related industries, including material production, concrete pumping, steel mill service, slag production, public works and others.
The full endorsement list is here. No endorsements in the Democratic secretary of state primary nor in any of the contested statewide GOP primaries. Also, the union informed me that the list they sent me for subscribers earlier today omitted 150’s backing of Lilian Jimenez in the 4th District Democratic primary.
* From Richard Irvin…
I am proud to receive the endorsement of Local 150 and am committed to rebuilding the middle class by supporting workers and enhancing skill training. That’s my record in Aurora and I’ll do the same for all of Illinois.
* Rep. Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee) on Facebook five days ago…
I had managed to avoid covid for the past 2+ years. Vaccinated and double boosted, I had been feeling pretty confident lately. Honestly? Kind of invincible. It felt so great to be returning to life and people and events, unafraid, normal.
But that all changed Sunday afternoon as I suddenly developed a weird, barky cough and started feeling bad. Mothers Day dinner was canceled as I crawled into bed. My at home test: negative. My fever spiked as high as 104 during the night and I froze with chills and my body ached. Monday - I canceled my attendance at a press conference with the Governor, a school visit, and A Safe Place board meeting. Home test: positive.
Worst headache ever, chest pain, wheezing and coughing non-stop, my doctor sent me to the ER. An EKG and chest X-ray, curled up on a small bed, shaking, freezing, sweating, aching, coughing. They sent me home with an inhaler and a prescription for antiviral medication, which was hard to find at local pharmacies.
Canceled everything for the week including speaking at a Veterans event in Springfield I had been looking forward to for months, breakfast with a community member I admire so much and have been wanting to get to know better, a visit with the Speaker, big meeting with the Zion community leaders, another school visit and surprising a school group during their Springfield Capitol tour, and much more.
Today I’m still quite sick, I can’t stop coughing, it’s hard to talk, and I’m exhausted. Incredibly sorry to those I had been around and didn’t know I was infected. Grateful to those who have reached out. We’re fine - Just do me a favor - please please please don’t let down your guard. This vaccinated, double boosted mom can attest to the fact that covid is still very much alive and well and still very dangerous. Take care friends, and keep those masks handy. Be safe.
Gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin has spent tens of millions of billionaire Ken Griffin’s dollars introducing himself to Republican primary voters. Yet a recent poll taken for WGN-TV by Emerson College Polling shows he’s leading state Sen. Darren Bailey by just 4 percentage points, 24-20%, with 19% split between the other four candidates and undecideds “leading” with 37%.
Irvin’s TV ads have tended to focus on crime (or corruption), but just 15% of Republican primary voters rate crime as their top issue, while 54% said the economy was at the top of their list.
Irvin has big leads over Bailey when asked which candidate “is best suited to tackle crime in Illinois.” He’s ahead of Bailey overall 30-20 with GOP primary voters on the issue, including 32-20 with whites (the vast majority of the GOP base), 38-18 in the suburbs, 33-13 in Chicago, 34-23 with men and 27-16 with women. Bailey is just barely behind outside of the Chicago metro region on the topic at 24-23. If crime were really and truly topmost to Republican primary voters, Irvin would be walking away with this.
Bailey is keeping it close overall partly because he’s just slightly ahead of Irvin on the all-important economy issue, 22-21. And that’s because Bailey leads Irvin by 8 points (25-15) outside metro Chicago on the topic and leads slightly among women (19-17).
According to the poll, 56% of whites, 57% of men, 51% of women, 54% of suburban voters and 61% of Downstaters put the economy at the top of their list, with just 32% of Chicago Republicans prioritizing it and putting the topic in second place.
On crime, the poll found that just 14% of whites, 15% of men, 14% of women, 13% of suburbanites and 10% of Downstaters had the issue at the top of their list, while 40% of Chicago Republicans said it was No. 1.
The Irvin people have said in the past that he is using the crime issue to signal to voters that, despite his outward appearance, he’s actually a Republican, without having to trumpet his specific party affiliation in most (not all) of his advertising. It’s worked as far as that purpose goes, but he’s not yet speaking loudly to the top voter concern. Even so, there’s plenty of time and Griffin money to move on to other items. We’ll see.
The Irvin campaign claims the Democratic Governors Association and Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC have spent about $8 million attacking their guy, with another $2 million or so on the way in new DGA ads.
The Irvin campaign just reloaded with $25 million from the state’s wealthiest resident, Griffin, after apparently burning through most of Griffin’s initial $20 million “investment.” The fact that he’s only attracting less than a quarter of the primary vote after all that ought to be hugely concerning. But, as noted above, there’s still time to crack the ceiling.
Those anti-Irvin ads are quite obviously having an impact on Irvin’s numbers — holding the nominal frontrunner down with the hope that Bailey’s campaign can somehow catch fire. But Bailey is such a hapless and cashless candidate that he’s going to need something huge.
Bailey has been trying like heck to win former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Bailey recently attended a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Mary Miller and has been posting the photo he took with Trump on his social media feeds. He touts the fact that he was a Trump delegate in 2020 and has shown endless irritation at being labeled by Irvin as a never-Trumper Democrat.
But a WTTW news story late last week about how Irvin once said he hated Trump and called the former president an “idiot” and “bigoted racist” might help Bailey secure that nod.
The poll showed that 57% of GOP primary voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who was endorsed by Trump. Of that large majority of folks who said they’d be more likely to vote for the candidate, 34% were undecided voters.
In other words, Bailey has to secure that Trump nod. It may very well be his only path to prevent those undecideds from eventually breaking toward Irvin. It’ll hurt Bailey in the general election, of course, but that’s for another time.
As subscribers know, I now believe that Darren Bailey may finally have enough money to compete. We’ll see what sort of home stretch race he and his benefactors run.
The annual Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to a former or current state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
Former Governor Jim Edgar and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute invite you to nominate an Illinois elected official who has displayed this kind of exceptional leadership.
We created the Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award to shine a spotlight on remarkable public service that is taking place in our state and local communities. Please join us as we celebrate the Prairie State’s best traditions. Nominate an Illinois statesperson by June 1.
