* Monday is Lincoln’s birthday, a state holiday. Enjoy. Here’s The White Stripes covering a song written by Hal David and the late, great Burt Bacharach…
Like a summer rose
Needs the sun and rain
I need your sweet love
To feel all the way
It is tradition for the Governor to deliver his annual State of the State and Budget Address to a joint session in the House Chamber. However, for the past two years, a global pandemic and a dangerous snowstorm forced Governor JB Pritzker to relocate. House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is excited to host the governor for the first time since he was elected to lead the chamber.
“In my first two years as Speaker, we faced unprecedented challenges and I’m thrilled that we are beginning to gain a sense of normalcy again,” said Speaker Welch. “I’m grateful we will be able to host Governor Pritzker and I look forward to hearing more about his priorities for this session.”
After three years of pandemic disruption that saw postponements, downsizing and a special outdoor summer edition, the Chicago Auto Show may be hitting on all cylinders for the 2023 edition.
The annual show, which opens Saturday, has expanded back into two halls at McCormick Place, with a full roster of brands, exhibits and test tracks, hoping to draw large crowds of EV-curious and old-school car enthusiasts.
* IDPH…
The department is reporting 10,234 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois in the week ending February 5, and 62 deaths. … As of last night, 834 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 100 patients were in the ICU and 34 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
* Scott is right (as usual). This isn’t a “loophole”…
I've seen this "loophole" comment several times now. A US supreme court ruling allowing for SuperPACs that can raise unlimited money, that cannot be limited or regulated by any state or local law, is not a loophole.https://t.co/inkLSk9s3M
The 77 Committee is run by Dave Mellet, a longtime top political adviser to Lightfoot, who said the committee operates independently of any campaign for mayor, as required by law.
“We do not communicate or coordinate with any of the campaigns for mayor and all decisions on strategy, fundraising and expenditures are made solely by the committee,” Mellet said in a statement to WTTW News.
They didn’t have to communicate with the Lightfoot campaign because the campaign, like most campaigns, has what is known as a “red box” on its website. They’re designed to let independent expenditure committees know what the campaign would like them to focus on, provide oppo, etc. Click the “Media” link on Lightfoot’s homepage and you’ll get this…
Voters on the go across Chicago, especially Black frequent municipal primary voters, need to know about Brandon Johnson’s extreme background contrasted with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s progressive accomplishments.
Brandon Johnson wants to defund the police. Johnson introduced a resolution to “redirect funds from policing.”
Brandon Johnson’s tax plan would hit the middle class, drive jobs to the suburbs, and jeopardize Chicago’s tourism and the status of O’Hare.
Johnson wants to defund the police, putting our safety at risk; raise taxes on the middle class and drive jobs away from Chicago.
* Hard to disagree…
Beer. My nominee for coolest thing manufactured in Illinois is beer. Manufactured across Illinois. Distributed by a skilled Union workforce statewide. Sold in businesses huge & tiny and enjoyed in homes, bars, and at family gatherings across our fair state.
Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement following the House passage of the Assault Weapons Ban, H.R. 1808:
“Assault weapons are weapons of war designed for one purpose and one purpose only: efficiently killing human beings. There is simply no reason for a civilian to own one of these firearms.”
And here’s Sam Royko on the right…
* Press release…
State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) has been tapped by Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) to serve as the Minority Spokesperson for two House Committees. The committees he was chosen for include State Government Administration and Transportation: Vehicle Safety.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve as Spokesperson on these committees,” said Rosenthal. “My past experience leading the Department of Natural Resources and the men and women of the Illinois National Guard has given me valuable insight to address the issues that will come before these committees as we work to improve state government operations and transportation safety on our roadways.”
Since Rosenthal previously served in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, it made him eligible to serve as a committee Spokesperson because House Rules require Spokespersons to be in at least their third term of office. In this role, Rosenthal will be responsible for leading the work of his fellow Republican members on the committee and promoting Republican initiatives and legislation.
As the former Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources from 2015 to 2019, Rosenthal brings the practical experience of having administered a state agency to the work of the legislature’s committee process. This makes Rosenthal uniquely and highly qualified for the Spokesperson role.
“As I’ve said before, my top priority is providing the best possible service to constituents,” said Rosenthal. “I will bring that same focus to my committee work over the course of this term.”
In addition to serving as Spokesperson on the aforementioned committees, Rosenthal will also serve as a member of the following committees: Agriculture and Conservation, Energy and Environment, Higher Education, and Veterans’ Affairs.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Crain’s | Rivian’s challenges pile up as new rivals swarm into the EV market: Recent setbacks pummeled Rivian shares to a 52-week low of $15.28 last month. Price cuts by rivals Tesla and Ford weigh on the shares, which peaked at more than $170 following Rivian’s November 2021 IPO. Amid shrinking cash reserves and recession fears, the company announced it was laying off 6% of its workforce, although sparing its primary production facility in Normal. That follows a similar-sized layoff last summer.
* Sun-Times | Will Bridgeport bank failure trial reveal more secrets about clout bank linked to Patrick Daley Thompson?: This time, it will be centerstage when Robert M. Kowalski, a lawyer and developer — he has called himself “Bob the Builder” in court filings — who got millions of dollars in loans from the bank, goes on trial Monday. He’s the first to face trial of 14 people charged with having a role in what federal authorities have said was an embezzlement scheme that involved top executives of the bank.
* Beacon-News | City Council eyes $500 million data center project in Aurora: The proposed development at the southwest corner of Bilter and Eola roads would eventually feature three buildings, being developed by Seefried Properties to eventually be owned by Endeavour Edged, an international company known for data center development around the world using 100% renewable energy and a zero-water cooling system, officials said.
* Fox Chicago | Polar plunging raises funds for Special Olympics of Illinois: Polar plunging has been gaining attention with some research saying it’s good for your health. It can also help raise money for the Special Olympics of Illinois. One brave plunger demonstrates “cold exposure therapy” in Lake Michigan live on Good Day Chicago.
* Sun-Times | After taking a pass on mayor’s race, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley endorses Garcia: Earlier this week, he was endorsed by former Gov. Pat Quinn, who circulated nominating petitions for mayor before deciding not to join the crowded field. Quinn chose Garcia over Mayor Lori Lightfoot, whom he supported four years ago, and Paul Vallas, whom he chose in 2014 as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
* WBEZ | Right after landing a big deal with the CTA, businessman helps Lightfoot’s reelection effort: Less than a month ago, the Chicago Transit Authority — whose leaders are appointed by the mayor — announced a lucrative new contract with a company founded by prominent real-estate magnate Elzie Higginbottom. Just a few weeks later, another company tied to Higginbottom gave a $50,000 contribution to a new political fund created by a close ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
* Chalkbeat | COVID prompted many Chicago principals to leave. What will it take to help them stay?: Before the pandemic, the district’s principal turnover was slowing, dipping to a rate below the national average. Still, about half of elementary school principals and more than two-thirds of high school principals were leaving their jobs within five years, according to a pair of new University of Chicago reports based on eight years of staffing data and interviews with local principals.
* WaPo | Rick Steves: Don’t skip Europe’s second cities: While lacking the popularity and the bucket-list sights, Europe’s second cities tend to enjoy a creative edge, a strong civic spirit, a Rust Belt toughness, fun-loving eateries with cutting-edge menus, entertaining street art … and far fewer tourists, which also means lower prices, a more authentic welcome and arguably a more honest cultural experience.
“After listening to Shannon Adcock’s speech, I think she should run for governor,” Vallas says in the video.
* As noted in the tweet, this was a different event than the June, 2022 conference Vallas did with the group which brought his association to light. His protestations last year that he knew little about the group before the conference are a little tough to believe.
So why today’s tweet? Well, the group got kinda bent out of shape after Vallas threw them under the bus. Stuff happens.
Citigroup Inc. has been dropped from the group of banks poised to handle the biggest-ever municipal-bond transaction from Texas after the state’s attorney general’s office determined the firm “discriminates” against the firearms industry, barring it from underwriting most government borrowings in the state.
The Texas Natural Gas Securitization Finance Corp. board met on Thursday and took action to “reconstitute” the syndicate on the $3.4 billion deal, according to Lee Deviney, executive director of the Texas Public Finance Authority, the state agency overseeing the borrowing. Citigroup had been listed in the original iteration of the underwriting firms approved by the board in May and is no longer included in the final group. […]
Citi’s removal from the deal isn’t a surprise after Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office last month said that they would no longer “approve any public security issued on or after today’s date in which Citigroup purchases or underwrites the public security,” according to a Jan. 18 letter to bond counsels written by Leslie Brock, assistant attorney general chief of the public finance division. […]
Citigroup is the second bank to be removed from the transaction. UBS Group AG was kicked off the deal in October after the state listed them among firms it considers to “boycott” the fossil fuel industry.
The Mississippi House passed a controversial bill that would form a court system of unelected judges and prosecutors to preside over part of the majority-Black city of Jackson.
Black residents make up 82.8% of the city’s population, according to the U.S. Census.
The bill would expand the city’s capitol complex improvement district, which “was created by the Mississippi Legislature to establish regular funding and administration of infrastructure projects within a defined area of the city of Jackson,” according to city documents.
Instead of giving the city’s majority-Black residents an opportunity to vote for judges and prosecutors in the court, the Republican-backed bill would require government officials to choose who fills those positions.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Biden administration over their guidance to pharmacies about not discriminating against people when dispensing medication. Essentially, the guidance was a reminder to pharmacists that they can’t discriminate against someone based on their ability or perceived ability to get pregnant. So, for example, they can’t withhold arthritis medication from a woman just because the medication could induce abortion.
Again, this guidance didn’t say that Texas or anywhere else had to prescribe abortion medication. Yet Paxton is suing, saying that the Biden administration “has no legal authority to institute this radical abortion agenda.” (You also may remember Paxton as the AG who sued the Biden administration over the state’s right to refuse emergency life-saving abortions.) What’s doubly upsetting about this is that the media coverage is getting it all wrong, with headlines mirroring Paxton’s claim that the lawsuit is about abortion.
The Texas Tribune’s headline, for example, reads, “Texas sues to block Biden’s abortion medication guidance”—language that’s repeated in multiple other news outlets. I think the least we can ask from mainstream media is that they get the basic facts right.
The organizers of the annual Knoxville Pride Festival said the event will be cancelled if a bill restricting where drag shows can take place becomes law.
If passed, drag performances on public property or where they can be seen by someone who is not an adult would be banned effective April 1. A first offense for a performer would be a Class A misdemeanor, but a second or subsequent violation would be a Class E felony.
The bill passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday and now must be approved by the house to become law. […]
The festival is the largest fundraiser of the year for the 501c3 organization that helps fund the Knox Pride Resource Center, which provides a food pantry, a thrift store to provide low and no-cost clothing to houseless and precariously housed individuals, life skills classes, and more, Knox Pride said.
According to Camp, the 2022 festival had 75,000 attendees and 125 performers, 100 who were drag artists, in Downtown Knoxville.
Mr. DeSantis is the latest figure, and among the most influential, to join a growing list of Republicans calling on the court to revisit the 1964 ruling, known as The New York Times Company v. Sullivan.
The decision set a higher bar for defamation lawsuits involving public figures, and for years it was viewed as sacrosanct. That standard has empowered journalists to investigate and criticize public figures without fear that an unintentional error will result in crippling financial penalties.
But emboldened by the Supreme Court’s recent willingness to overturn longstanding precedent, conservative lawyers, judges, legal scholars and politicians have been leading a charge to review the decision and either narrow it or overturn it entirely. […]
During the panel discussion on Tuesday, Mr. DeSantis accused the press of using Sullivan as a shield to intentionally “smear” politicians and said the precedent discouraged people from running for office. Would the current Supreme Court, he asked the panelists, be “receptive” to revisiting the case?
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, and state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, recently introduced legislation, House Bill 2123 and Senate Bill 1392, to crack down on abusive and harmful use of digital forgeries known as “deepfakes” and create a path for victims experiencing physical, emotional, reputational or economic harm to seek justice.
Deepfake technology is used to create extremely realistic digital forgeries, which are increasingly being used to falsely portray people participating in pornographic activity without their consent. Victims are routinely humiliated, abused and blackmailed as the result of the creation and dissemination of pornographic deepfake videos.
Deepfakes are also being used to falsely portray public figures making offensive or harmful statements, including elected officials and world leaders. These false depictions have the potential to undermine public trust, obfuscate the truth, and spread dangerous misinformation. In a particularly dangerous example, Vice reported a video forgery that used deepfake technology to falsely depict Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy surrendering to Russian forces. This type of malicious misinformation has the potential to create mass confusion and provoke violence if not addressed.
“This ‘deepfake’ technology presents a very real threat to privacy and to the truth,” said Gong-Gershowitz. “Deepfakes can falsely and convincingly portray anyone saying anything, creating confusion and eroding public trust. This raises serious implications in a world already struggling with rampant misinformation and social media manipulation. Our laws and regulations must keep up with this rapidly-evolving technology to protect individual privacy and public trust.”
* It’s that time of the year…
It's my favorite time of year: seeing witness slips on a staggering array of bills from David Schwartz and Matthew Slade, the two most opinionated people in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/glyU4hrB36
Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) reintroduced the Safety & Opportunity for Girls Act.
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order to interpret Title IX as requiring schools to allow access to sex-segregated spaces and activities based on gender identity. The Safety & Opportunity for Girls Act, sponsored by Rep. Mary Miller, adds a clear definition of sex to Title IX to clarify that “sex” means biological sex, not gender identity.
Rep. Mary Miller says that she is sponsoring the Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act to protect spaces for women and girls in school.
“Democrats continue to push radical gender ideology on our children, and we must draw the line to protect women and girls,” Miller said. “Title IX was created to enhance opportunities for our daughters, not threaten their safety. No girl should be robbed of athletic opportunities by being forced to compete with biological males in school sports. The Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act would make it clear that the definition of sex in Title IX means biological sex, not gender identity.
My goal is to protect spaces like bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams for women like my five daughters, and so many others across the country.
The Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15 school boards plan to retain a still-to-be-named lobbyist to oppose — or at least get amended — recently filed state legislation that would take a cut of their future property tax revenues and give the Chicago Bears a massive tax break at Arlington Park.
The District 214 board unanimously supported hiring a lobbyist Thursday night, which followed the District 15 board’s similar vote Wednesday night. The districts want to present a united front before legislators in Springfield and hope to get Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 on board as well. The District 211 board next meets Feb. 16.
“We would like to have a seat at the table so our voice is not lost as we move through this large, complex and certainly rapid-moving and high-stakes issue,” said District 15 Superintendent Laurie Heinz. “The board has always and will support everything that has to do with the economic development within District 15 boundaries. But the economic development must make sense and fully address any impact on District 15 and residents within our communities.” […]
The legislation, filed Monday by Democratic state Sen. Ann Gillespie of Arlington Heights, would allow developers of “mega projects” — those worth at least $500 million — to make payments to local taxing bodies like schools while also getting an assessment freeze of up to 40 years. Under the proposal, the Bears’ payments would be negotiated, but it’s the village of Arlington Heights — not the school districts — that would be doing the negotiating.
Gillespie, an admitted skeptic of her own bill, said she filed it so that it could be part of a larger conversation about her long-sought reforms to tax-increment financing.
Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin reintroduced legislation to designate the sites of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield, Illinois, as a national monument.
According to a press release, both senators have been longtime supporters of turning the site into a national monument, originally introducing the legislation in 2019 and 2021.
It has the support of the NAACP, Sierra Club, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.
If a Democratic lawmaker has her way, non-citizens will be able to vote in school board elections in Illinois.
State Sen. Celina Villanueva has introduced legislation to allow “non-citizens of the United States” to register to vote in school board elections. The measure is headed to the Assignments Committee, where it will be reviewed. School board elections will take place this year on April 4.
Creates the If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let’s Start With You Act. Provides that the following actions must be completed no later than June 30, 2024: (1) the City of Chicago must convert Millennium Park into a solar energy park by building solar energy facilities on all open space and by mounting solar energy facilities on structures, except that no solar energy facility is required on Cloud Gate; (2) the City of Chicago must mount one wind energy turbine on Cloud Gate (The Bean exhibit) in Millennium Park; and (3) the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District must place at least one wind energy facility in each public park operated by the City or Park District. Also requires each forest preserve district in Cook County to place at least one wind energy facility in each forest preserve operated by the forest preserve district. Requires reports to the General Assembly on the progress of complying with the requirements and the benefits that the wind and solar energy requirements have conferred upon the City of Chicago and Cook County. Limits concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
Some Democratic lawmakers are proposing pushing back high school start times across Maine.
They say it’s a serious issue involving teenage health.
The bill, An Act to Provide for a Later Starting Time for High Schools, is very simple. If approved, high schools in Maine wouldn’t be allowed to start before 8:30 a.m.
“I’ve been having kids all over the state actually write me saying how much they really want to see this pass,” said State Sen. Mattie Daughtry, (D) Brunswick.
“If you look at teens and development, their circadian rhythms are actually different than the rest of us,” Daughtry said. “So waking a teen up at 6 a.m. is the equivalent of you and I getting shaken awake at 3 a.m.”
The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild filed bill with the state Legislature that would allow craft breweries to ship beer directly to consumers.
Allowing brewers in the state to sell beer online and ship to customers’ homes would serve as a lifeline to the craft beer industry, which continues to face economic fallout from the pandemic, said Ray Stout, executive director of the trade organization. It would also bring the industry up to speed in a world where people are accustomed to buying almost everything with the click of a mouse. […]
The bill, which has been introduced in the Illinois Senate and is expected to be introduced to the Illinois House of Representatives in the coming days, marks the guild’s second attempt in as many years to try to codify direct-to-consumer beer shipping into law.
The newest bill puts a cap on how much beer a consumer can order online — 12 cases, which contain 24 beers each — per year. Stout said he thinks that cap makes the bill more likely to pass. He does expect push back from distributors, however.
Newly released reports from the Illinois Department of Human Services’ watchdog office reveal shocking instances of cruelty, abuse and poor care of patients who have mental illnesses and developmental disabilities at a state-run facility in rural southern Illinois.
The eight reports, obtained last month under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, provide new evidence of an ongoing crisis at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, which has been the subject of numerous investigative articles by Lee Enterprises Midwest, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica.
In one report from November, the IDHS inspector general wrote that two Choate employees who had broken a patient’s arm in October 2017 bragged about how staff got away with abusing patients by providing scant details on reports and blaming resulting injuries on accidental patient falls. The staffers also boasted about intimidating and bullying other employees to keep them from reporting abuse and bragged that they retaliated against those who spoke up.
In another report, the inspector pointed to years of concerns about the care provided to patients who have pica, a disorder in which people feel compelled to swallow inedible objects such as coins and zippers.
Several nurses told an investigator that it was common practice to force patients with pica to dig through their own excrement with gloved hands or a spatula to determine whether objects they swallowed had passed, the inspector general found. The investigation was triggered by a complaint to the agency’s abuse hotline made last spring by a facility monitor who observed a patient walk out of the bathroom with a bag of feces. Patients questioned by investigators said they felt disgusted by the practice and viewed it as punitive. […]
Further, an incident in November 2021 extended beyond neglect. A mental health technician was found to have also mentally abused and retaliated against a patient who wet himself after the tech rejected his request to use the bathroom. The worker made the man mop up the mess and tossed his personal letters in the bucket of dirty water, according to the inspector’s report. When questioned by an investigator, one of the patients who witnessed the incident and corroborated the account began to cry and said he “was tired of being abused.”
Blue state Illinois stands out as a “blue wall,” Pritzker said, a place where the policies of the Biden administration can be highlighted at a convention, with the Biden and Pritzker agendas closely aligned.
Illinois has an assault weapons ban; abortion rights locked in; workers rights laws; and, when it comes to infrastructure projects, Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan has been boosted with massive federal funding from Biden’s signature infrastructure bill. […]
“Is [Georgia] really that purple? [Pritzker asked.] Well, it’s got a Republican governor, a Republican legislature, it’s got a majority of its congressional delegation is Republican. […]
Then there is the matter of hotels. A major Atlanta vulnerability is its lack of union hotels. Atlanta has only two union hotels, compared with 45 in the Chicago area.
Vallas explained by saying that he and his wife, Sharon, have “lived apart” for decades.
“When I left Philadelphia to go to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, my wife did not want to go with me. She wanted to move back to where she was most comfortable. She bought a home right next to her aged parents in the same house where she grew up….My kids were still relatively young, and she thought that’s where she could be most easily supported,” Vallas said.
“Sometimes, people stay married because they make certain arrangements…I’ve always lived where I’ve worked. This has been our understanding. I wanted my wife to be in her most comfortable setting with her friends and family…while she allowed me to do what I do: rescues, turnaround projects, crisis management.”
Vallas said he listed Palos Heights as his home address when he contributed to Giannoulias because his wife, who cares for her parents and his 94-year-old mother, “pays the bills and handles the finances.” They have one credit card between them that’s in her name.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* The Paul Vallas residency story has been floating around Twitter for a bit now…
How did they miss the fact that his “residence” is a 600 sq ft 1 bedroom and he’s still taking the homeowners exemption in the burbs?
Paul Vallas’ wife, Sharon, can’t even vote for her husband because she is registered to vote in Palos Heights
Why should we elect someone that shows absolutely no commitment to being a part of our community, other than wanting to be mayor? pic.twitter.com/mpVKuNkOxq
Once again, Vallas used a Palos Heights address in his role as the firm’s President (renewed in August, 2022.)
Do we have any actual evidence Vallas even lives in Chicago? Even Vallas seems confused on where he lives as he used 2 addresses on the same document 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/E9DKrgONy5
If Paul Vallas is a Chicago resident, why did he make a $250 contribution to Alexi Giannoulias using a Palos Heights address in Sept, 2022? pic.twitter.com/e95Ke7TKNQ
It looks like @royalpratt@ad_quig have copies of Vallas’ federal tax returns going back till 2018
That would show if Vallas took the mortgage interest dedication for the full years of 2018 & 2019, while Vallas was allegedly a Chicago residenthttps://t.co/OW2MokWDRa
Vallas, who has been registered to vote in Chicago at an apartment in Bridgeport for less than a year, declined to answer questions about his residency directly from WTTW News. Instead, a spokesperson for his campaign issued a statement saying he lives in Chicago while his wife, Sharon, lives in Palos Heights to care for her elderly parents and 93-year-old mother-in-law.
“The couple has made this sacrifice so that their elderly parents can be cared for in their residences,” according to the campaign, which said Vallas visits the Palos Heights home “when his schedule permits.”
However, when Vallas contributed $250 to Democrat Alexi Giannoulias’ successful campaign for secretary of state in September, Vallas listed his address as his Palos Heights home, according to records filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections. A spokesperson for Vallas said that was an error and would be corrected.
Vallas also uses the address of his home in Palos Heights for his consulting business, according to documents on file with state officials. A spokesperson for Vallas said that was done when Vallas was living in New Orleans more than a decade ago.
Vallas has been registered to vote in Chicago since 2018. These candidate residency requirements are not difficult to skirt. But he has some more explaining to do.
Also, I’m told Vallas flatly denies owning any property in Monee.
*** UPDATE 3 ***
NEW: the Cook County Assessor is out with a new statement, saying it has concluded its investigation and determined the Vallas’ did NOT improperly claim a homeowners exemption on its Palos Heights property.
Because Ms. Vallas applied for the exemptions and the documents provided by her representative established that the Palos Heights property is properly receiving an exemption, and neither she nor Paul Vallas are receiving homeowners exemptions elsewhere, the investigation is concluded with no violation.
* Meanwhile…
Protesters right now outside Union League Club calling out Paul Vallas’ involvement with Awake Illinois. pic.twitter.com/4YI4dMfqdI
*** UPDATE 1 *** Another Vallas hit from the Kam Buckner campaign…
During his time at CPS, Paul Vallas censored students by banning a coming of age novel that depicted the life of a young woman on Chicago’s South Side after protests from religious and conservative leaders. If Vallas had actually read Coffee Will Make You Black, he may have realized that the book is about having pride in your heritage, love for your family and hope for a brighter future.
“Republican politicians ban books because they are cowards,” said Kam Buckner. “Paul Vallas’s history of book banning, specifically a book with a strong young Black female protagonist, demonstrates how little he values representation, free thought, and a holistic public education.”
“This is yet another example of how Vallas failed CPS’s students. Instead of broadening and challenging their perspectives, Vallas chose to stand on the side of the establishment that has historically chosen to disregard Black authors,” Buckner said.
The Vallas for Mayor campaign is responding to a malicious, untrue story that ran last night on WTTW News that made false assertions about the candidate’s residency.
Here are the facts:
• Paul Vallas has lived in his current home in an apartment on S. Normal Avenue in the City of Chicago since January of 2022, meaning that he clearly, unequivocally meets the one year residency requirement to run for Mayor and serve in the office.
• Vallas was born and raised in Chicago and has unquestionably deep roots in the city. He has lived outside the city due to various positions in other cities over the years, but has always maintained his close connection to the community.
• The allegation raised by WTTW and the Cook County Assessor’s Office with respect to a duplicate homeowner’s exemption is FALSE. Vallas and his wife own a home in Palos Heights where his wife resides in order to care for their elderly parents. Vallas has NO CONNECTION to a second property in Monee, and this was clearly communicated to WTTW and to the Cook County Assessor’s Office prior to publication of their story.
The following is a statement from Vallas campaign counsel Steven Laduzinsky:
“As the frontrunner in this race, we expect criticism from our opponents and scrutiny from the press. However, this false attack on Paul’s residency is absolutely baseless and he clearly, unequivocally meets the legal requirements to run for Mayor. It is truly disappointing to see that WTTW pushed forward with this false narrative, apparently buoyed by the Cook County Assessor who failed to contact our campaign or even conduct any type of due diligence before releasing false information. Based on the facts, we have demanded that the Assessor’s Office publicly retract its statement and close its investigation immediately.
This kind of unprofessional reporting misleads voters and spreads disinformation. Our campaign is focused on communicating Paul’s message of putting crime reduction and public safety first and we will not be distracted by baseless allegations and rumor mongering.”
That still doesn’t explain the Giannoulias contribution.
* Here’s a Toddlin’ Town roundup from Isabel…
* Tribune | Donors to political committee supporting Paul Vallas are secret, but leadership has ties to current campaign: Like all so-called independent expenditure committees, the new Chicago Leadership Committee is not allowed under state law to coordinate with any candidate or campaign it supports, which in this case is Vallas’ mayoral bid. But recently disclosed campaign finance reports show the Chicago Leadership Committee paid $165,000 to Mad River Communications, a Maryland-based firm registered under the name of Vallas campaign adviser Joe Trippi.
* Chicago Reader | Police brutality survivors and former cops are running in Chicago’s police district council races: Of the 112 candidates running in the newly-created Police District Council races, 63 used resources provided by CAARPR to file election paperwork. These 63 candidates support police accountability: overwhelmingly, they want Chicago Police Department funding to be redirected to violence prevention and transformative justice programs, for care workers to accompany police to mental health crises, and for their churches, block clubs, and community organizations to be included in public safety. Despite what they have personally endured at the hands of police, only a few want to totally defund or abolish CPD.
* WTTW | Political Fund Created by Lightfoot’s Allies Used Cash from City Contractors to Attack Johnson: Those contributions exploit what campaign finance experts told WTTW News is a loophole in laws governing the role of money in Chicago’s elections opened up by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to lift most limits on campaign spending. Former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, a harsh critic of Lightfoot, said that while the political activity by The 77 Committee is legal, it is “unethical.” “Any Chicagoan will tell you: ‘Well, jeez, that’s a quid pro quo,’” Ferguson said. “It doesn’t pass the smell test.”
* Sun-Times | Democratic Party’s 2024 convention: The choices are down to Chicago, Atlanta: Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker, here for National Governors Association meetings running through Saturday, said in an interview with the Sun-Times that he would pitch the president — again— when he sees him in the coming days. Pritzker, a billionaire, said as part of promoting the city’s bid, he was among those making upfront guarantees to the DNC that the party would lose no money if Chicago snagged the convention. That’s important because “almost all” Democratic conventions since 1996 —when it was last in Chicago — “have lost money for the DNC,” Pritzker said.
* Capitol News Illinois | On Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, advocates spotlight ongoing racial disparities: Simmons and other members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus were joined by members of the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity, or BLACHE, a coalition of Black-led organizations that work to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS in the Black community. The lawmakers and advocates called for the state to invest more money in organizations treating the disease in communities of color.
* Herald-Whig | Former Adams County sheriff faces charges alleging he issued improper certification while at state agency: Former Adams Sheriff Brent Fischer faces multiple felonies in Macon County alleging he improperly provided a law enforcement officer certification while he served as executive director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Fischer faces three counts of forgery, a Class 3 felony, and one count of official misconduct, also a Class 3 felony. It was first reported by Isabel Miller of Capitol Fax.
* CBS Chicago | Illinois hopes to increase Black and brown-owned recreational pot businesses: Since clearing legal hurdles from multiple lawsuits last summer, the state’s cannabis regulation oversight office assures this trickle of social equity ownership will soon turn into a waterfall. “This is the first (program) that’s in America,” said Erin Johnson, the state’s cannabis regulation oversight officer. “So we are proud of that, but with that comes the fact that we don’t have a blueprint.”
* Capitol News Illinois | Advocacy groups push for expansive paid family, medical leave in Illinois: After a quick rebrand to the Illinois Time To Care Coalition, advocates are pushing for a more ambitious leave policy, which would make Illinois the 12th state with mandatory paid family and medical leave. The United States is the only industrialized nation without a national paid parental leave law, while dozens of developing countries also have such policies.
* WCIA | Illinois state senators announce bipartisan Senate committees: Joining the Senate Higher Education Committee with Sen. Michael Halpin (D-Rock Island) is Sen. Dale Fowler (R- Harrisburg). Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) will also be the co-chair of the Senate State Government Committee along with Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Kankakee).
* Scott Holland | Pritzker agrees counties can’t set own limits on wind, solar projects: We believe in local control. Until we don’t. That’s the unspoken message from Gov. JB Pritzker’s Jan. 27 signature on House Bill 4412, which neutralizes existing and future county ordinances restricting wind and solar farms. Democrats passed the plan in lame duck session, forcing Pritzker to contradict a position established on the 2022 campaign trail.
* WTAX | Fifteen years smoke free: It’s been fifteen years or more since any business in Illinois asked you, “Smoking or non-smoking?” Advocates who helped get Smoke Free Illinois passed fifteen years ago celebrated Wednesday at a reception in Springfield.
* Tribune | Postal carriers ‘traumatized’ after recent armed robberies and other crimes, says head of union: “It’s a traumatizing experience to have a gun pulled at you in the performance of your duties while servicing the public,” said Elise M. Foster, the president of the union’s Branch 11, who says she represents the local carriers who recently have been victims of assaults. “They’re scared and some don’t even want to return back to work.”
* NPR | At least 9 GOP-led state legislatures want to restrict or criminalize drag shows: The Tennessee House’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee recently heard testimony on a proposed bill that would categorize drag shows, or “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest,” as “adult cabaret performance.” It would make it a criminal offense for a drag artist to perform on public property or in a location where the show could be seen by a minor. Further, it prevents local ordinances from superseding this if it were to become state law.
* Tribune | Chicago Bulls stand pat at the NBA trade deadline, reaffirming faith in their Big Three: “There were so many buyers, so there were a lot of teams that didn’t want to take a step back, including us,” Karnišovas said. “We tried to improve our team, but at what cost? That price was not OK with us. The next stage for us now that we’ve passed the trade deadline is to evaluate this group over the next 28 games.”
* More from the Politico interview of Gov. Pritzker…
Q: We’re going to talk about culture wars because you’ve made national headlines on that front, challenging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, changing high school curriculum in regard to Black history. And how do you see that playing in 2024?
Pritzker: I guess I think of it in a completely different context than you’ve just laid it out. I believe that this is not a culture war. This is a fight about democracy. It’s a fight about, you know, are we in a liberal democracy, and I don’t mean liberal as in Democratic, I mean, we do we live in a liberal democracy or not? Is this a place where truth should prevail? Should w cut out portions of history because we don’t like how it sounds, or we don’t like what previous generations did and we don’t want people to know about it. It strikes me that our children especially need to understand the mistakes that we as a country have made in the past, to learn from those mistakes that, by the way, we have learned from many of those mistakes. We have more to learn all of us and more progress that we need to make. But ignoring it or white-washing it, it strikes me as bad for the future of democracy and the future of expanding rights. In the United States, which is what we’ve always done, we’ve always tried to expand rights. Now it feels like people are trying to contract rights. That’s the wrong direction. It’s not a culture war. It’s not about 2024. For me, it’s about right and wrong. And it’s about, you know, the future of democracy for the United States.
* Interesting news from the Senate…
Two Illinois Senate committees will be co-chaired by Republicans in a move that harkens back decades to a time when Republicans and Democrats more often worked together to recognize shared goals and achieve them.
“I appreciate Leader Curran reaching out with this idea. At one point in our not-so-distant history this was a common practice in the Senate. I think we both hope that it will foster bipartisan cooperation on how we can best meet the needs of people all across our great state,” said Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.
Sen. Dale Fowler, a Republican from Harrisburg, will serve as co-chair on the Senate Higher Education Committee. Sen. Michael Halpin, a Rock Island Democrat is the committee chair, and Sen. Celina Villanueva, a Chicago Democrat, is the vice chair.
Sen. Sally Turner, a Republican from Beason, will serve as the co-chair on the Senate State Government Committee. Sen. Patrick Joyce, a Democrat from the Kankakee area, is the chair, and Sen. Willie Preston, a Democrat from Chicago, is the vice chair.
“I am proud to share in announcing the appointment of Republican co-chairs to two vital Senate committees,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran. “I appreciate President Harmon’s efforts in reaching out to discuss greater participation with the minority party. This is a real step toward a more bipartisan working relationship in the process of crafting and passing public policy. Having members from both parties at the helm of these committees will encourage greater collaboration and dialogue, and lead to better outcomes for the people of Illinois.”
Democrats hold a 40-19 majority in the Illinois Senate, which means Democrats also have majorities on all committees and Democratic Senators preside over those committees. The agreement between Curran and Harmon elevates Republicans on these two committees to co-chair roles. Bipartisan co-chairs is not a new idea. For instance, Democrat John Cullerton and Republican Kirk Dillard co-chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee in the early 2000s.
Information about Senate committee and Senators can be found under the “Senate” section of www.ilga.gov.
Eliminating cash bail would also eliminate a revenue source for the county, Rueter said. Bond money is collected for individuals to get out of jail, and if those individuals are convicted, their bond money goes to fund the court system.
“If you’re convicted, then your court costs are paid,” Rueter said. “That is actually, I think, to the tune in Macon County (of) about $1.6 million in revenue for the county to use to pay for the court system. With no cash bail, that revenue goes away. So the taxpayers will have to foot the burden of paying for that loss of revenue.”
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Politico | Dem governors pledge to protect abortion as neighbors add restrictions: “We’re not an island, we’re an oasis,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in an interview with POLITICO on Thursday. “People come to Illinois to exercise what are their fundamental rights, and they’re being denied in other states, every state around us, and then another ring of states around them. So think about how if you want to exercise your rights, how far you have to travel if you don’t live in Illinois in order to exercise those rights.”
* CBS Minnesota | Gov. Walz signs “100 Percent by 2040″ energy bill into law: According to the Clean Energy States Alliance, 21 other states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have already established some kind of 100% clean-energy standards or goals, most with target dates between 2040 and 2050.
* Shaw Local | Wisconsin-based PAC raising money ‘to educate voters in McHenry County’: A political action committee registered with a Post Office Box based in Wisconsin, just outside St. Paul, Minnesota, has been set up to help “educate the voters in McHenry County,” records filed online with the Illinois State Board of Elections show. Dubbed McHenry County Citizens for Lower Taxes, the PAC was created by Thomas Datwyler on Jan. 21 and filed with the state elections board on Jan. 23, records show. Its address is listed as a P.O. Box in Hudson, Wisconsin, which sits along the Badger State’s border with Minnesota.
* The Triibe | Teaching through trauma: n my 16 years teaching in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), I have lost more students than years I have taught. During my teacher programs in college, I had fears surrounding how to create engaging lesson plans, how to make connections with students and how to help students who needed more support. I learned the basics of how to be a teacher in my college classes and then learned even more during student teaching (a.k.a. teaching internship) from experienced educators. My mom was an educator in Michigan, so I knew that teaching would be extremely rewarding and also extremely frustrating. The one thing I never learned, or was even remotely prepared for, was what to do when a student dies.
* Peoria Magazine | Peoria Power Couple: Derrick Booth and Jehan Gordon-Booth don’t work in the circus. Not officially, anyway, although in their high-profile jobs, some days it may seem so. Indeed, the husband-and-wife duo from Peoria has become quite adept at juggling. With busy and sometimes far-flung schedules, it’s a necessity.
* Chalkbeat | COVID exodus: Where did 1 million public school students go? New data sheds some light.: The data the team compiled point to two main drivers of the public school enrollment plunge: family choices and population changes. After public schools went remote, a portion of families switched their children to private schools or homeschool. At the same time, immigration slowed and many families fled big cities, causing the school-age population in some places to shrink.
* Daily Southtown | South suburban towns receive grants for lead pipe inventory, but officials say money will be needed for replacement: Ten Southland communities will receive state grants for tens of thousands of dollars to create a lead service line inventory, but area officials say more money will be needed to replace lead pipes. The grant is part of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Service Line Inventory grant, which range from $20,000 to $50,000 to create a complete lead service line inventory, according to an agency news release.
* Motherboard | American Cars Are Getting Too Big For Parking Spaces: Increasingly, cars are too big for parking spaces, especially in parking garages and other paid parking lots where developers pay close attention to space size. Like the proverbial frog in a slowly heating pot of water, our cars have gotten ever-so-gradually bigger with each passing year, but the parking space standards have barely budged. Now, in the third decade of the growing car size trend, people are starting to notice.
* AP | Several universities to experiment with micro nuclear power: “What we see is these advanced reactor technologies having a real future in decarbonizing the energy landscape in the U.S. and around the world,” said Caleb Brooks, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
* Farm Journal | DeDecker Family Named Illinois Pork Family of the Year 2023: Mark DeDecker and his wife, Karen, are the proud owners of DeDecker Pork Farm in Cambridge, Ill., where they currently farm 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans and market 7,000 hogs annually with their son, Lance. The DeDecker family history in Henry County goes back over 75 years and spans over three generations.
The Republican-led Missouri state house on Wednesday voted against banning minors from openly carrying firearms on public land without adult supervision.
The proposal to ban children from carrying guns without adult supervision in public failed by a 104-39 vote. Only one Republican voted in support.
A Democrat, Donna Baringer, said police in her district asked for the change to stop “14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St Louis carrying AR-15s”.
“Now they have been emboldened, and they are walking around with them,” Baringer said. “Until they actually brandish them, and brandish them with intent, our police officers’ hands are handcuffed.”
* The lure of Pappy Van Winkle is too much for mortal men to bear. Oregon Live…
Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission employees, including top-level managers and the agency’s longtime executive director, have for years set aside for their own use some of the most sought-after bourbons, diverting them from the public and running afoul of state ethics laws.
The blockbuster findings, detailed in an investigation obtained Wednesday by The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to a public records request, reveal a longstanding practice within the agency of reserving bottles of the popular bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle, for multiple employees, including the recently ousted executive director, Steve Marks, and his second-in-command, Will Higlin. […]
The scheme came to light last April when a departing agency employee documented his concern in an email to agency staff, saying the state warehouse supervisor set aside bottles of bourbon “and has them sent to stores so higher ups” can pick them up. The complaint prompted an internal investigation, which found the practice was common and included Marks. […]
The diverted booze was part of the state’s “safety stock,” Leslie said. Those essentially are bottles that serve as potential replacements for damaged liquor headed to liquor stores. She could not say how many bottles were held back at the request of agency employees.
The state of Oregon distributes liquor itself. The commission has received bonding authority to build a fancy new warehouse. Our state does not distribute liquor. Hence, Opposite Land.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is warning state agency and public university leaders this week that the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — policies that support groups who have been historically underrepresented or discriminated against — is illegal in hiring.
In a memo written Monday and obtained by The Texas Tribune, Abbott’s chief of staff Gardner Pate told agency leaders that using DEI policies violates federal and state employment laws, and hiring cannot be based on factors “other than merit.”
Pate said DEI initiatives illegally discriminate against certain demographic groups — though he did not specify which ones he was talking about. […]
The governor’s directive represents the latest effort by Republican leaders fighting back against policies and academic disciplines that Republicans nationwide have deemed “woke.” DEI, along with critical race theory, has become a target of conservatives who argue that white people are being unfairly treated or characterized in schools and workplaces.
Nexstar’s television network NewsNation reported a correspondent was released from jail hours after his arrest during a press briefing on the trail derailment in East Palestine Wednesday.
NewsNation said journalist Evan Lambert was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing following a live report during Gov. Mike DeWine’s briefing.
Lambert was on air when DeWine started speaking and abruptly finished his report saying, “We’re actually being told right now that we need to stop broadcasting because this news conference is behind us and we’re in the command center, so as we all listen back there and I listen here, you’ll learn the latest.”
NewsNation later shared video of Lambert talking to local authorities, getting handcuffed and being taken into custody. The network said photographer Preston Swigart, who was with Lambert, said Lambert was asked to stop talking. Swigart told NewsNation “from their standpoint, he didn’t obey orders when he was told to stop talking.”
Video…
A NewsNation reporter was arrested Wednesday during a news conference being held by the Ohio governor about a train derailment.
Reporter Evan Lambert is now facing charges of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
* A few quick observations about this: Lightfoot is an embattled, unpopular incumbent, so she needs to spend a ton of cash. Vallas is a surging challenger and he has the dollar momentum as well; Wilson’s ads are subpar at best and, in three elections (2015 and 2019 mayor and 2020 US Senate), he has never received more than 11 percent citywide, so I’m not even sure what he’s doing; Brandon Johnson is about to up his buy to take him to the finish line. Garcia is once again struggling to raise money and his ads aren’t the greatest…
#ILPol: The Chicago Mayor race has now seen $14.4M in total ad spending.
Top 5 spending advertisers: Lori Lightfoot: $4.4M Paul Vallas: $3.2M Willie Wison: $3.1M Brandon Johnson: $2.2M Chuy Garcia: $1.3M
* I’ve been thinking lately that Chuy has been running Pat Quinn’s “You know who I am” campaign and this just confirms it. /s…
Former Gov. Pat Quinn endorses Jesùs “Chuy” García for mayor of Chicago, as state Rep. Theresa Mah looks on. García will ensure Chicagoans get real property tax relief, Quinn says. pic.twitter.com/xWPvOpEfm5
But Quinn did choose Vallas as his running mate during the ultimately disastrous 2014 campaign, so it’s news…
“Chuy García has an unrivaled record of delivering for Chicago, and he understands the urgency of now. I endorse Chuy because his plans to bring property tax relief and build a stronger economy are the best in the field and he has the experience to deliver,” Quinn said. “Trust me when I say, it is so important for the City of Chicago to have a worthy advocate in Springfield. And when Chuy says he has the best relationships of all the candidates with Springfield, he’s telling the truth.”
Most people despise Congress, but Chuy has been playing up his role in that tainted body. And most don’t love Springfield, either.
On 19 January, the Chicago Reader revealed that 36-year-old Pericles “Perry” Abbasi — a campaign attorney, who was running for office in Chicago’s 25th police district with the backing of the Fraternal Order of Police — had a history of posting bizarre and unseemly content on social media. He had, among other things, retweeted a photoshopped image of himself as the police officer Derek Chauvin, with one knee on George Floyd’s neck. In a leaked screenshot from a group chat, he had written that “the horrible black diet” was the reason for “13/50”, referencing a common internet meme about Black Americans’ percentage of the population (13%) and supposed share of violent crime they commit (50%).
Abbasi denied these accusations of bigotry. He claimed he didn’t remember everything he was alleged to have written (without necessarily denying his authorship, either), while also offering a second more general defence of his behaviour: this was the internet, he argued, and if he thought of something funny, he’d immediately post it. If this meant writing a tweet about how a relationship with a 36-year-old woman led him to conclude that child porn sentencing is far too long, then so be it. If it meant “making up insane things to stir shit up”, then it meant just that. Abbasi admitted he couldn’t even remember what he posted 48 hours ago; it was all just a blur of posting, retweets, engagement, and likes. He has posted nearly 104,000 times over the past four years, averaging roughly 70 tweets per day (one can also assume he retweeted hundreds of replies each day). In a sense, Abbasi was telling the truth: he was lost in the sauce, living from post to post.
Many of Abbasi’s clients were less than impressed by this. The original report in the Chicago Reader was quickly amended to insert various statements from political figures whose campaigns had him, each stating his comments were unacceptable. But Abbasi doubled down, posting a series of tweets about how being cancelled “was a choice”, that he was an “alpha male” and thus above apologising for things out of principle, and that Osama Bin Laden himself taught us that people will always prefer a “strong horse” to a “weak horse.” Then, he received a “like” on one of his tweets from Elon Musk and declared that the era of his cancellation had ended.
* Speaking of fruitless, Mayor Lightfoot’s YouTube video on Paul Vallas has garnered just 116 views in 22 hours…
* As we discussed the other day, a poll taken in late January and early February found that the Chicago Teachers Union had a 57% favorable rating from likely Chicago voters and a 40 percent unfavorable rating. Only Gov. JB Pritzker had a more favorable rating among people and groups tested (65-33). The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police’s rating came in at 35 percent favorable and 55 percent unfavorable. And Darren Bailey received 15.5 percent of the Chicago vote last year.
The trailer for the Illinois Policy Institute’s documentary criticizing the Chicago Teachers Union is posted in advance of the YouTube release on Monday. I do not think it was wise of the IPI to trot out Charles Thomas — former respected TV political reporter turned paid Republican mouthpiece — to boost interest in the film.
* In the grand scheme of things, DoorDash is a relatively small player, contributing about $100K since mid-November…
Here’s the thing…it’s just so brazen. This delivery app isn’t donating $1k and sponsoring some charitable projects in wards too to generate goodwill & friendly ears. The DD tech bros are just dumping buckets of campaign cash to elected officials who can block local regulation.🙄 https://t.co/cJq0Znxoju
"CDOT is aware of the issue and is in contact [with] the contractor to remove the signage. Chicago’s municipal code prohibits advertising messages on any construction canopy located within the public way." https://t.co/V0GTvFNpMi
2/ These new schedules decimated blue line service even further. Rush hour service was cut by more than 50%, and weekends now see a 15 minute headway during the day - up from 6 minutes, making it the worst weekend L line (along with the yellow).
* WTTW | Sluggish Pace of Chicago Police Reform Effort Complicates Public Safety Debate in Mayor’s Race: In fact, the department is in full, preliminary or secondary compliance with just 53% of the consent decree requirements, according to data released by the Chicago Police Department. It is not clear why Lightfoot’s remarks did not match the data reported by the department. Lightfoot told WTTW News that when she took office in May 2019, three months after the agreement was finalized by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow, the city’s compliance with the consent decree was “in dismal straights.”
* Tribune | Paul Vallas campaign defends his son, 1 of 3 police officers who fatally shot a man in Texas last year: Vallas often talks about his son, San Antonio cop Gus Vallas, on the campaign trail, noting that they are a family of public servants with close ties to police. But the family relation arose in a starker context after the Triibe, a news site focused on Black Chicago, published a story about Gus Vallas’ role in a 2022 incident where three San Antonio police officers shot and killed a Black man who police said was wanted on felony warrants.
* Tribune | CPS teachers: Student and family needs are the backbone of Chicago educators’ fight: Matt Paprocki, president of the IPI, asserts that CTU leadership cares only about politics and not students. He has conveniently divorced the union’s politics from the needs of our students and school communities. But in reality, they are the same. Our so-called “political positions” and “aggressive” bargaining positions are driven by what we know our students, their families and our staff need to be successful.
* Chalkbeat | Mayoral hopeful Brandon Johnson promises students free transit, more staff: Johnson, a current Cook County commissioner, unveiled his vision for Chicago Public Schools Wednesday afternoon at a City Club of Chicago luncheon. His plan includes free bus and train rides for students on the Chicago Transit Authority, expanding opportunities for students through partnerships with City Colleges and trade schools, and having under-enrolled schools share space with child care and health clinics.
Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill that would give workers in the state up to 26 weeks of paid leave. Any worker in the state who earns at least $1,600 in a year would be eligible for the program.
“We’ve heard from [workers],” State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), one of the bill’s sponsors, said. “They need this legislation. They need this safety net. They need to be able to take paid family and medical leave when they have a family member that’s ill, or an expecting child coming into the world. That is just something that they’re asking for, and quite frankly, they deserve.”
Reasons people could use the paid leave includes anyone dealing with a serious health condition, people taking care of a sick family member, and to care for a new child. […]
Under the program, workers can earn 90% percent of their average weekly wage if they make 50% or less of the state’s average weekly wage. And for those who make more than that 50%, they would earn 90% of their average weekly wage but up to the state’s average along with half of their average weekly wage.
Democratic legislators in both chambers are proposing a monthly allowance of diapers for families in need.
The proposed bills will allow parents to get $70 a month per child in the Senate’s version of the bill and $30 in the House’s version of the bill if they meet eligibility requirements.
“No one should have to choose if their lights are going to be on, what they pay for life saving medication, if their child will be able to have their diaper changed or not,” Rep. Lakeshia Collins (D-Chicago) said. “This is one step forward in the right direction for our state to ease some of these burdens off the families.”
Infants and toddlers need on average 10 diapers per day, according to Pampers. If a young child wears diaper substitutes or a diaper for too long, they can get irritation, prolonged diaper rash, and UTIs along with other health complications.
A state representative who is also the mayor of Calumet City has proposed a bill that would require Chicago’s gas stations and grocery stores to hire their own armed security. … It does not have backing from the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association, which represents thousands of gas stations and convenience stores in Chicago. “Crime in the city of Chicago is the city’s problem to take care of,” CEO Josh Sharp said. He says in some respects it is a two-way street. “There are certain things business owners can do to help alleviate crime in the city and we’re happy to do some of those things. “For example, keeping less cash on premises. Having better lighting at our locations. We’re all about being a team player with the city to help eliminate crime, but if you’re ordering private-sector businesses to keep armed guards at their locations, that’s a Springfield-style mandate that our members really don’t want.”
* Press release…
Young Adults in Illinois are at an inflection point. As the pandemic continues, young adults ages 18-34 are seeing wages eroded by inflation, ever-increasing college tuition, and a lack of affordable health care, just to name a few challenges. Black, brown, and low-income young adults often fare even worse because of systemic inequities. To take action and disrupt the status quo, Young Invincibles Midwest organized the following policy priorities for Illinois in 2023, with constant input from young adults directly impacted by higher education, health care, and workforce policies.
The work to create this policy agenda began in June 2022, when YI gathered young adults at our annual Illinois Policy Summit. YI solicited real-time feedback from participants on barriers preventing their economic empowerment, and what solutions they demand to see. Throughout the rest of the year, YI conducted surveys and held focus groups to expand and provide additional nuance to YI’s policy agenda drafts. In late 2022, YI’s Midwest Youth Advisory Board reviewed a final draft of this agenda to ensure it is aligned with young adults’ priorities.
The following policy mandates from our constituency must be implemented immediately. We’ve been shortchanged and dismissed, but young adult power will undoubtedly make a forceful impact toward progress in 2023.
1. Meeting Students’ Basic Needs for College Completion
Students needs such as housing, transportation, food, and others must be addressed to ensure students are able to complete college. The available support for students’ college completion has long been inadequate, even before the pandemic. But not only are those problems worse, but new challenges unique to students of color, low-income, and first-generation students are also emerging. Factors like finances, job stability, family responsibilities, access to technology, and health concerns are compounded with the perennial challenges of balancing work, studies, and life.
Students should have access to high-quality academic services on campus such as tutoring and office hours with instructors. These academic supports must be available for working students and students with children, as well as being accommodative for students with disabilities. Students should also have access to affordable classroom materials such as textbooks. However, before providing additional academic support, it is necessary to first ensure a student’s most basic needs are met. It can be difficult for a student to excel academically when they are struggling to adequately feed or house themselves.
Aiding a student in meeting their basic needs through non-academic support ensures students can enroll, engage, and thrive in a post-secondary environment. Non-academic supports such as child care, food security, housing assistance,
and transportation must be provided consistently, affordably, and promptly for students. This work will require cooperation among higher education institutions, government, and community providers.
In 2022, Illinois legislators passed a law requiring a public benefits navigator position at every public higher education institution in the state. This navigator will connect students with the appropriate public benefits programs and additional resources to ensure basic needs are met. YI will lead the work with students, institutions, legislators, advocates, and additional stakeholders to implement the law effectively, which may include legislative modifications to ensure navigators are able to meet the unique needs of various student populations.
2. Maintain Financial Aid Resources to Improve College Affordability
Students must be able to afford post-secondary education, but many simply cannot. Historically, the Monetary Award Program (MAP) has been a critical state- based, need-based financial aid for thousands of students, but it is consistently underfunded. Every year, lawmakers fail to fully fund MAP to ensure that all the students who are eligible for MAP receive it. For first-generation students and students of color, MAP is even more critical; according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, about half of undergraduate students at Illinois’ public universities who identify as Black or Hispanic receive a MAP grant, and over half of MAP recipients are first-generation college students. In 2022, lawmakers appropriated a historic $122 million additional dollars for MAP in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) state budget. aThis is both a stunning and historic investment in students. This year, YI will continue to advocate on behalf of students by asking for an additional $50 million over last year’s historic budgetary victory. Every dollar in the MAP fund goes directly toward a student pursuing their educational goals.
3. Elevate Student Perspectives for Equitable Systemic Funding
The Commission on Equitable Public University Funding is tasked with furnishing recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly on a funding formula to equitably distribute public dollars amongst the state’s public universities. YI will advocate to include students in discussions about the formula recommendations and ensure they are based on equity, data, and students’ needs. All students in Illinois must have access to a high-quality education, and that begins with ensuring all higher education institutions have fair and equitable access to state funds.
To guarantee students in Illinois have a seat at the table, YI will lead in the creation and oversight of a student committee to further inform the work of the Commission. YI will train students to actively participate in the creation and passage of an equitable public university funding formula.
4. Support Black Students at the University of Illinois for Equitable Access to Higher Education
Black residents are almost 15 percent of the state’s population, but in 2021, they were only about eight percent of the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign’s undergraduate and graduate students. As the state’s flagship system, the University of Illinois should be easily accessible to every state resident. YI will work with stakeholders to learn from Black students about possible solutions to increase Black student enrollment at multiple campuses in the University of Illinois system. Ultimately, the University of Illinois should ensure all campuses market financial aid opportunities to Black students, reach out to two-year colleges to strengthen the pipeline of Black transfer students, and help foster a sense of community for Black students.
Illinois state Sen. Christina Castro filed a bill Wednesday looking to bring internet casino gaming to the Land of Lincoln.
The bill, SB 1656, would allow an “Internet gaming operator to offer Internet gaming.” It represents a subtle change from her unsuccessful 2021 legislation, SB 2064, which proposed authorizing “casinos or racetracks to offer Internet gaming or contract with a platform to offer Internet gaming” that would be regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Castro’s bill allows for an internet gaming licensee to offer up to three branded skins and offers the possibility of interstate poker based on language that includes “acceptance of out-of-state wagers.” She again is proposing a 15% state tax on adjusted gross revenue that would be directed to the State Gaming Fund.
Castro’s filing raises expectations a corresponding bill will be filed in the Illinois House. Rep. Bob Rita, who is often the point legislator on all things gaming in Illinois, filed such a bill in 2021, calling for a 12% tax rate and also allowing for multistate poker.
* Press release…
State Senator Ann Gillespie and child welfare advocates announced legislation that would provide youth in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services with legal representation on Wednesday.
“Children and youth with lived experience in our child welfare system have overwhelmingly voiced their desire to be seen, heard and represented,” said Gillespie. “We must join the vast majority of states that provide legal representation to youth in care so that our most vulnerable have expert help in leaving the foster care system and can go on to live safe, dignified lives.”
Illinois is one of seven states that does not guarantee legal counsel to at least some youth in care, and one of 14 states that does not guarantee legal representation for all children in child welfare proceedings. Without legal representation, children are left to navigate complex proceedings on their own, putting them at risk of receiving unfair treatment or having vital decisions about their future made without their input.
Senate Bill 1478 amends the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights Act to include the right to an attorney in child welfare proceedings. The legislation creates a commission to oversee implementation, including lawmakers, legal and judicial experts in juvenile law, social workers, and administration from DCFS.
As high as that number is, it’s sharply higher among Black residents, with 85% — more than four out of five — calling police relations negative. Among Hispanic voters, 63% found relations with police negative, and among white voters, 49%.
The question leads us nowhere. I mean, people say that relations between the police and the community are negative. Obviously, they don’t want more of that. But, yes, they are sick of the crime and want it reduced. That question doesn’t tell us how. I know I always say voters don’t do nuance, but that doesn’t mean that the news media should be the same way. And when you talk to Chicagoans and read good polls and speak to people who go door to door during campaigns, Chicagoans generally appear to have more nuanced views on crime than the news media.
* Apparently, violence prevention programs didn’t make the pollster’s cut…
* And this question is so broadly worded that you could interpret the results in any number of ways…
* Politico interviewed the governor during the National Governors Association convention in DC…
Q: We’re now just weeks into your second term. You’ve already signed laws to ban the sale of assault weapons, expand coverage on abortion and offer guaranteed paid leaves. They’re the kinds of bills that really take years to accomplish for a lot of administrations. And to get them to the finish line. What’s your negotiating tactic? You came from the business world, like, what are you doing to get all this stuff accomplished? Is it just because you have a Democratic legislature?
Pritzker: Why I guess people talk about all these things that just all of a sudden have happened. But the reality is, I like to say they’re all 15-year overnight successes, that, you know, the work has been done over many, many years to get to a point where we agree that there ought to be paid leave.
Q: Do you get people into your office? Like, I want to know what goes on behind the curtain kind of thing.
Pritzker: Out of the public eye, am I twisting arms?
Q: Do you take them to dinner? What do you, what is happening, exactly?
Pritzker: I’ll do what’s required. Look, first of all, I know this is gonna sound funny, but a number of years ago, just before I became governor, so this is about 2017, 2018, the governor’s mansion in Illinois was in terrible shape before that, and the prior governor, the First Lady rather, renovated the governor’s mansion. And I know this, you’re wondering why am I saying all that in the context of the answer your question. Well, because there was no entertaining being done. There was no gathering place for the governor with members of the General Assembly. And I’m not sure the prior governor wanted to do much of that as you know.
Q: Because you’re all Democrats and he was a Republican so that…
Pritzker: I think it’s worthwhile inviting people into your home. And you know, and giving them an opportunity to talk in a, in a less tense fashion. Serving drinks is helpful. And serving food. And to be honest with you, having a good personal relationship with people on my side of the aisle as well as people on the other side of the aisle even if you have things that you vehemently disagree about. There’s an opportunity to disagree and not be disagreeable if you have a personal relationship with people.
So, you’re asking me, you know, well, what’s your negotiating tactic? First thing is, I think you have to have some kind of a cordial level of discussion that can take place where people can put their ideas on the table. I may disagree with them. They may disagree with me, but at least you can get it all out on the table without getting you know, cut off at the knees. And then negotiating. As you know, negotiating is an art. There’s a little bit of science and an awful lot of art involved. And I was a businessman before I was governor, so I can say you know what your own power dynamic is walking into a negotiation. You have an idea what the others think theirs are, and you try to figure out where you’ve got things that you can trade with one another, if that’s what’s required.
I also think sometimes just, you know, talking to people on my own side of the aisle, some of it’s about, you know, well, how are you going to go explain that to your constituents that you’re not for this thing that I’m proposing? And they can say the same thing back to me. How can you not be for whatever it is? Because in the end, I mean, it’s not that everything has to have a popularity contest behind it. But in the end, we’re all working for the same group of people. And so, I do think there’s my negotiating tactic is try to get people as close as you can to a common set of values, let’s say, about what you’re actually trying to accomplish, for whom, and then push it all over the line with the final, often, it’s a little bit of horsetrading.
* Crain’s | Bill surfaces in Springfield to crack down on auto insurers: A coalition of 15 consumer and community groups is pushing for passage in Springfield of a bill just introduced to give the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to reject auto insurance rate hikes. The measure, called HB 2203, authored by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, also would bar insurers from setting rates based on non-driving attributes like consumers’ credit scores. Guzzardi was flanked at a press conference today by state Sen. Javier Cervantes, D-Chicago, and leaders from Illinois PIRG and Citizen Action Illinois.
* Sun-Times | Illinois must move forward on digging out of its pension problem: Illinois’ five statewide pensions are underfunded by about $140 billion. The state now is on a “ramp” that requires ever-increasing payments into the pension funds each year until 2045, when the state will pay some $18 billion in 2045 alone. That will make it hard to pay for all the other things the state does, including education, public transportation and roads and bridges.
* Crain’s | New Vallas ad spending raises questions about potential campaign finance violations: Mad River is owned by, and according to Maryland state records, legally represented by political media consultant Joe Trippi. That’s the same Joe Trippi who serves as Vallas’ senior strategist and media adviser and has helped develop a Vallas ad campaign that according to some polls has put the former Chicago Public Schools chief into first place in the race for mayor.
* Triibe | ‘Get down, boy!’ Paul Vallas’s son is one of 3 police officers who fatally shot a man in Texas in 2022 after chase: In June 2022, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) amended its foot pursuit policy as a result of the fatal shootings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who had dropped a gun and raised his hands when he was shot, and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, who was fleeing with a gun and was shot in the back. The updated policy prohibits foot chases for minor offenses or simply because someone is fleeing. It allows officers to use their discretion in cases where someone has committed or is committing a crime that poses “an obvious threat to any person.” When the amended policy was announced, candidate Paul Vallas was critical of it. In a tweet at the time, he wrote: “@ChiefDavidBrown unveils new policy: @Chicago_Police no longer allowed to chase people on foot “b/c they run away.” This will embolden criminals & make the city even more dangerous. We need MORE proactive policing, not less! #ChiMayor23”
* Sun-Times | Supt. David Brown likely to leave Chicago Police Department: Even if Mayor Lori Lightfoot is reelected and allows CPD Supt. David Brown to keep his job, he could be forced out anyway. In October, Brown turns 63, the mandatory retirement age for Chicago’s police officers and firefighters.
* Crain’s | This weed shop deal shows how values are dropping : The declines in stock prices and canceled deals will impact the value of 192 new retail licenses that have been issued in Illinois. Under state rules, holders haven’t been able to sell their licenses until their stores are open. At least one owner has sued to challenge those rules in a case that’s still working its way through Cook County Circuit Court.
* Block Club | 50th Ward Candidate Mueze Bawany Talks Anti-Israel Tweets, Public Safety At Community Forum: “I want to say explicitly that there is no excuse for those words, and I’m never going to hesitate to apologize when I’ve created harm,” Bawany said. Bawany said he has reached out and spoken with Jewish constituents who have contributed to his campaign, including JCUA Votes, which has previously endorsed him. During Thursday’s forum, he also disavowed the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, which is a Palestinian-led movement calling for actions against Israel.
* Tribune | Waukegan and its soon-to-open casino missing out on Super Bowl betting revenue: Executives of the American Place casino may feel the same as Illinoisans are expected to bet more than $86 million on the Big Game, with the seven sportsbooks currently operating across the state. The early betting line has the Philadelphia Eagles favored slightly in Super Bowl LVII over the Kansas City Chiefs.
* NPR Illinois | Decatur pilot will be part of Super Bowl flyover: During the National Anthem performance, three Navy tactical squadrons will conduct a unified flyover. Capt. William Frank from Decatur is one of those supporting the flyover as a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 122.
* Illinois Farm Bureau | Illinois Farm Families to be Featured in Super Bowl LVII Commercial: A Mercer County farm family will be featured in a commercial airing on Feb. 12, during the first half of this weekend’s big game. Chad Bell, his wife Brittany, and children Amelia and Charlie, will appear in the commercial, titled “The Corporation,” to bring awareness of Illinois’ family-owned farms.
