Reform-minded legislators Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Randy Frese (R-Paloma), Margo McDermed (R-Mokena), and Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) today demanded Speaker Madigan resign amid FBI investigations and harassment cases that have tainted his caucus for decades.
Representative Batinick believes Illinois has a culture of corruption, but it’s leadership that sets this culture. “House Speaker Mike Madigan is the longest-serving House Speaker in history, and under his reign we’ve seen a decades-long pattern of unethical behavior and corruption in Illinois government,” said Rep. Batinick. “People all around him are being investigated, searched, recorded, arrested and indicted. To restore trust and accountability in state government, Speaker Madigan must resign.”
According to Batinick, the resignations must extend beyond the Speaker and also include the state’s top financial watchdog, Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino. “Auditor General Mautino has been under fire since his appointment in 2016 when it was alleged he used campaign money for personal purposes for over a decade while serving as a lawmaker,” said Batinick. “He has yet to answer those charges, and efforts to remove him from the position of Auditor General have been squashed by Speaker Madigan and his Democratic Majority. At a bare minimum, Mautino must resign.”
Rep. McDermed said the typical response to scandals by Madigan and his loyalists, which includes denouncing behaviors and floating the illusion of reform while rejecting anything substantive, must end. “Amidst a #MeToo scandal atop the political and legislative sides of Madigan’s operation, the Speaker has again and again promised reforms while simultaneously protecting his allies,” McDermed said. “Their response to sexual harassment and bullying has been to lie and intimidate the accusers while rewarding the harassers. On behalf of the 200 people who signed a letter alleging harassment in Springfield and others too afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, I am demanding Speaker Madigan’s resignation.”
McDermed pointed to Madigan’s refusal to advance more than a dozen ethics reform bills filed by House Republicans, only to bring forward extremely watered down measures during the 11th hour of the fall veto session. “Legislation that would have brought forth meaningful change were blocked while Democrats approved ethics reform bills that have no hope of improving ethics in Springfield,” McDermed added.
“Speaker Madigan has the power to advance or kill legislation, and he controls the committee process through his House rules,” said Rep. Morrison. “Those who play his game are rewarded with key committee chairmanships and later many receive lucrative lobbying contracts and jobs, while those who stand up to these practices are punished. This culture of corruption denigrates our entire system of government and impacts families on a personal level through the ‘corruption tax’ we pay.”
Rep. Morrison also reiterated the need for Auditor General Frank Mautino to resign. “The condition of state and local government finances are one of the most critical issues facing the state of Illinois and its thousands of local units of government,” said Morrison. “That’s why the Illinois Constitution provides for the position of Auditor General, who oversees state agency spending, grants, and helps ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Illinois residents deserve a genuine and competent watchdog over state finances, an individual beyond reproach. Sadly, this is Illinois, and our current Auditor General, Frank Mautino, remains under a cloud of scandal. Speaker Madigan’s refusal to demand answers from Mr. Mautino or call the bill to remove the Auditor is an example of ‘turning a blind eye.’ For this reason and more we are reiterating our call for Auditor General Mautino to resign.”
Batinick and Morrison are facing serious reelection challenges. McDermed is retiring.
…Adding… This post originally had an older version of the press release, which is still here. It’s been updated with a new version.
Aging out of the state’s public special education system, Nick [22, who has been diagnosed with autism] now stays at home, where his mother worries he is becoming more and more isolated and losing what he has learned. She wants to get him into adult programs funded by the state that would continue his training and maybe even set him up in a group home. […]
Nick is among nearly 20,000 disabled adults in Illinois who are on a waiting list to get into adult programs. Many of them come from families who don’t have a way to pay for home care, job coaches or other services.
Most wait an average of seven years before they are selected, despite a court order in 2011 that Illinois shrink the list and do other things to improve how it serves developmentally disabled adults.
One family told the Tribune they signed up their child when he was just 5 and he still did not get a spot when he turned 22 this year.
20,000?
* IARF President & CEO Josh Evans…
Earlier today the Chicago Tribune published an article that serves as a painful and frustrating reminder to all Illinoisans – particularly those with disabilities and their families - that as a state we have failed to provide for the multi-generational needs of thousands of adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities that are on the state’s waiting list for community-based services and supports in a timely manner. With this publication on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Association and its members have a renewed focus in working to address the funding and structural issues that continue to serve as barriers to growing access to services and supports.
While we share the frustrations and concerns of so many individuals and families, recent efforts by the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pritzker’s administration give the Association confidence that as a state we are now in a better place to begin to chip away at the inadequate funding plaguing our service array, as well as the statutory and regulatory barriers that have limited growth and flexibility in community-based services and supports.
We join organizations and individuals across Illinois in our collective efforts to advance the Fair Tax Constitutional Amendment, as this will not only lower taxes for the significant majority of Illinoisans, but will provide the resources that are necessary to address rate inadequacies, ensure a living wage for frontline staff, and expand the community-based service array and reduce the number of individuals on the waiting list for services.
IARF looks forward to working with Governor Pritzker and his leadership team, the General Assembly, the Arc of Illinois, and stakeholder partners towards eliminating barriers to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities accessing community-based services and supports.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From IDHS…
IDHS exists to support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families who are striving for independence, integration and inclusion in our society.
We have made strides in the last year, but far too many individuals with disabilities who “age out” of the school system are waiting for appropriate services because these services were neglected and hollowed out for years. Too many parents are still struggling to help support their adult children with complex needs.
Our administration is working every day, in good faith with individuals, families and stakeholders, to dramatically improve the current system of services and supports. One example is our commitment to revising the rate methodology for developmental disabilities (DD) rates and services to ensure that our rates adequately support our community providers. (Kathy Carmody of the Institute for Public Policy for People with Disabilities and Ronnie Cohn, the court monitor in the Ligas case, were members of the IDHS Rates Oversight Committee that developed recommendations on DD system rate changes.)
The leadership team at IDHS is committed to proving to parents that we honor their devotion to their children and that we will be strong partners with them. Some of our actions to date include:
* Committing by 2025 to ensuring that no individual remains on the PUNS list 5 years after their 18th birthday.
* Moving more than 600 individuals off the PUNS list this year.
* Revising the PUNS list to distinguish individuals planning for services from those actively seeking services. (While there are close to 20,000 individuals on the PUNS, roughly 7,000 are actively seeking services.)
* Establishing a dedicated email account for inquiries about PUNS status and expected selection dates: DHS.DDD.PUNS@illinois.gov.
* Forging a deeper partnership between the Divisions of Developmental Disabilities and the Rehabilitation Services so individuals leaving high school can immediately access vocational and employment supports.
* Submitting a federal Medicaid waiver amendment to increase wages for front-line workers to account for Illinois’ increased minimum wage, so community-based DD providers can recruit and retain strong teams.
* Investing unprecedented levels of state support for the community-based system of services serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Getting this right – eliminating prolonged delays for disability services – requires we marshal and manage significant resources that can support individuals with disabilities to live self-determined lives in their communities.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Kathy Carmody, CEO Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities…
Glad you ran the Tribune item from earlier today. As I stated in the article, our current situation is the result of decades-long neglect and under-funding in the I/DD community service delivery system. We are encouraged by the current administration’s commitment to community services and the inclusion of community providers and their representatives in efforts to improve and enhance the community system. The Institute looks forward to continuing to work with the leadership teams at DHS and HFS to find creative and cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing people with disabilities and their families.
A Republican college sophomore who got clobbered in what he described as a “David vs. Goliath” aldermanic race against a member of the state’s most powerful Democrat’s ward organization is back for more.
But this time 20-year-old student David Krupa is seeking to set up a Republican beachhead in state House Speaker Mike Madigan’s heavily Democratic 13th Ward.
After losing to Madigan’s handpicked alderman in February, Krupa, a student at DePaul University, filed paperwork this week to run for 13th Ward Republican Committeeperson in an effort to “chip away” at the longtime speaker’s power in the Southwest Side ward.
“I decided that there needed to be another presence besides Madigan’s Democratic Ward Organization here in the Southwest Side of Chicago, and it needed to be an organized presence,” Krupa said Wednesday of his decision. “I ran as an independent for alderman, but I think we’re going to need more than just independent thinkers, and we’re going to need an organization behind us.”
It’s not odd because Krupa is running for Republican committeeperson. He’s a Republican, lives in the ward and it’s a free country.
* It’s odd because the story doesn’t contain even a glancing reference to Krupa’s recent past…
13th Ward aldermanic candidate David Krupa confirmed an allegation of sexual abuse when speaking to the president of College Republicans, the president said in a statement published in an article in The Gate Thursday.
Fourth-year Brett Barbin said that Krupa, a freshman at DePaul University who has garnered media attention including a Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsement, told him over the phone that he took off his condom when having sex with his high school ex-girlfriend without her consent—an allegation made in an emergency restraining order filed against Krupa in 2017.
Krupa also told Barbin in the call that he believed a judge extending the order until it went to trial was not on his side because the judge was female, Barbin said in the statement
In June 2017, Krupa’s former high school girlfriend Juliet Schmidt filed a domestic violence complaint against Krupa, currently a freshman at DePaul University. Ms. Schmidt’s restraining order against Krupa references physical abuse, harassment, interference with personal liberty, intimidation of a dependent, exploitation, and stalking. Schmidt was granted an emergency order of protection; however, this has expired because a judge never ruled on the case […]
The restraining order details how Krupa called Schmidt’s friends “liberal f*gg*ts,” appeared uninvited outside her window, told her she was mentally unstable, and tried to coerce her into a car with him, only stopping when a police officer intervened.
I dare say that any other story about any other candidate running for office in any other part of the city or state would most definitely contain at least some reference to allegations such as those.
Amazon revealed details of new renewable energy projects in the U.S. and Spain Tuesday, with the tech giant seeking to ramp up the greening of its operations.
Together, the three solar projects are expected to generate nearly 700,000 megawatt hours of energy per year, which is enough to power over 67,000 homes, according to the firm.
The project in Spain will be southeast of the city of Seville and have a capacity of 149 megawatts (MW). The solar facilities in the U.S. will be in Lee County, Illinois and Northern Virginia, and will amount to a combined 180 MW.
Lee County is in northern Illinois. The county seat is Dixon.
Amazon’s newest renewable energy solar projects in the US will be located in Lee County, Illinois and Frederick County, Virginia. Together, they total 180 MW and are expected to generate almost 400,000 MWh of renewable energy annually. This will be Amazon’s first large-scale renewable energy project in the state of Illinois and ninth in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Once complete, Amazon says the three new renewable energy solar projects will provide an estimated 329 MW of additional renewable capacity supplying energy to the company’s fulfillment network in Europe and Amazon Web Services data centers, which power Amazon and millions of AWS customers globally.
“Earlier this year, we announced The Climate Pledge, setting a goal to meet the Paris Agreement 10 years early and be net zero carbon by 2040. We also plan to run on 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030,” said Kara Hurst, Director of Sustainability, Amazon. “We’re committed to investing in renewable energy as a critical step toward addressing our carbon footprint globally.”
Amazon says it’s working toward 80 percent of renewable energy by 2024 and 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, on a path to net zero carbon by 2040.
Lee County will also be the site of Amazon’s first large-scale renewable energy project in Illinois.
“As we work to put our state on a path to 100% clean and renewable energy, Illinois is proud to have Amazon invest in a major solar project in our state,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “Addressing climate change will take all of us working together, and leadership from state governments and the business community will demonstrate how we can sustainably power a modern economy and create good-paying jobs.”
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Springfield Political Bar goes to a relative newcomer…
Buzz Bomb. Yes, not one usually thought of, but the folks at BB host a bunch of political events and you’ll find staff, lobbyists, and members there on session nights. Also, great beer.
They’re also pretty cool people.
* The 2019 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Springfield Political Restaurant goes to what I would call a non-traditional establishment because it’s not open at night except for events…
Cafe Moxo. Just sit there on a session morning between 7-10 AM. You will see a parade of staffers, lawmakers, lobbyists and people working in and at the Statehouse. They don’t just pop in, there are lots of meetings that take place there between 1-2 people and groups preparing for a day at the Statehouse. And the food is great.
That nomination just stopped me in my tracks. It’s spot-on.
* On to today’s categories…
* Best Springfield bartender
* Best Springfield waitstaff/kitchen staff
As always, try to nominate in both categories and explain your votes. This isn’t about the number of votes, it’s about why you are voting this way.
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, 2019 and every day.
It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
LSSI provides placement and casework services for children who have been removed from their families because of abuse and/or neglect. The goal of LSSI’s foster care services is to return the child back to his or her family. Services include training and licensing for foster families. Foster parents, working with LSSI, support the child’s connection to his or her family by providing transportation to or hosting sibling visits, and visiting with parents when the child welfare team mutually agrees upon this.
Children who cannot be safely reunited with their families may become available for adoption.
LSSI is the largest statewide provider of foster care services in Illinois. Approximately 10 percent of Illinois children under the guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are served by LSSI.
And, remember, we’re doing this fundraiser in Wordslinger’s memory. I’m hoping to arrange a meet and greet reception with Wordslinger’s family during the upcoming spring session. That’ll give you a chance to tell them how you donated to LSSI because you respected him so much. Please, click here.
*** UPDATE 1 *** A generous anonymous donor just contributed $1,000. Wow! I contributed my pledged matching amount, so we’re now up to $3,170 of our $5,000 goal. Thanks to everyone! Now, let’s hit that target! Click here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Wordslinger’s brother just texted to say that it would’ve been Word’s 56th birthday today. Wow. What a great coincidence! Please click here to donate.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Holy moly, we reached our interim $5,000 goal. That was fast. I’ve increased it to $6,000. Click here and let’s keep this going! Thanks!!!
Senator Bill Brady’s tenure as Minority Leader faces new uncertainty after Senator Jason Plummer, Brady’s former 2010 gubernatorial running mate, accused Brady of offering him an appointment to sit on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform in exchange for muting his criticism of Brady’s side gig working to promote video gaming terminals in bars.
“It was said multiple times that he would not appoint me if I followed through on filing that legislation that I had worked on, or if I spoke publicly about it,” Plummer told WCIA on Monday night. “I was kind of surprised that he was as forward as he was. I said to him, I said, ‘Geez, Bill.’”
“I recall the conversation with great detail because it wasn’t just one conversation,” Plummer added.
Several Senate Republicans, who asked to speak anonymously, said Plummer’s explosive allegations could make it incredibly difficult for Brady to keep enough votes in his camp to win re-election to keep his post in 2021. […]
Plummer, an Edwardsville Republican, claims Brady’s aides quizzed him about legislation he has drafted that would outlaw elected officials from earning income to operate or promote video gaming terminals. Plummer says he has drafted, but not yet filed, Senate Bill 2318, which would prohibit any member from the General Assembly from receiving any income from a gaming related interest. The idea has been discussed by a number of Senate Republicans, who say they would support it, even though it would outlaw Brady from keeping one of his side jobs. […]
“I very much wanted to serve on the commission,” Plummer said, citing his interest in passing tougher ethics laws. According to several sources familiar with the private Senate Republican caucus meetings, Plummer openly pressured Brady to pursue more stringent ethical reforms, but the Minority Leader instead opted to embrace the “low hanging fruit” Democrats offered and moved to establish a Commission to study the issue of fighting corruption, as opposed to enacting laws to ban lawmakers from serving as lobbyists, or to broaden the powers of the Legislative Inspector General.
Wait a second. The Senate Republicans, including Plummer, voted unanimously against establishing that ethics commission. From a press release…
“With the cloud of scandal hanging over the Dome, we need to be taking up serious ethics reforms not punting to another partisan task force,” the caucus said in a statement issued before the vote.
* I checked in with Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady this morning and he said Plummer has “never” spoken to him about that video gaming bill. “He’s never brought it up.”
Brady said he had discussed with Plummer the need to represent “the interests of the caucus” at the joint commission, not his own private views. He also characterized Plummer’s comments as “false accusations.”
* There’s also a passage in the story about Sen. Dan McConchie, whom Brady appointed to the commission after Plummer took his name off the list…
However, Brady did not harbor the same concerns or require the same conditions from Senator McConchie, even though he had made several public statements and filed legislation in support of tougher ethical laws.
All of those bills were filed and the statements were made before the commission resolution passed, Brady said today. He’s right about that.
* Whoever is telling the truth here kinda matters less than the news value of watching two Senate Republicans, who ran as a team in the 2010 gubernatorial election, duking it out in public. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE *** Partial walkback?…
A spokesman for Senator Brady says he “never even talked about gaming in abstract terms” with Senator Plummer. Plummer says, “I’m not saying video gaming itself came up,” but he believes Brady knew his bill would ban lawmakers from profiting on gaming. https://t.co/TiqAdCeXep
* Lots of info in this Daily Herald piece by Jake Griffin, so go read it all…
Former state Rep. Randy Ramey, stepson of former Republican state Senate President Pate Philip, added his name to what could be a three-way race for the Republican nomination in the 45th District [against freshman Democrat Diane Pappas]. […]
Elsewhere in the suburbs, 63rd District incumbent Republican state Rep. Steven Reick of Woodstock filed for reelection Monday. Democrat Peter Janko, a small business owner from Marengo, also filed Monday to seek his party’s nomination for Reick’s seat. He is slated to face Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager in the March 17 primary.
Naperville Republican incumbent state Rep. Grant Wehrli picked up two Democratic challengers Monday for his 41st District seat. Denika McMillen, a social worker from Naperville, and Janet Yang Rohr, a Naperville Unit District 203 board member, both filed their paperwork Monday.
Democrat Joyce Mason of Gurnee also won’t face a primary challenge for her 61st District House seat. But Republican Dan Yost, an Antioch village trustee, is expected to challenge her in the Nov. 3 general election.
* Good stuff from Barton…
In Dec 2019, no Democrats filed to run for ILHouse115, ILHouse117, ILHouse118, nor ILSen58.
That region was home to power houses like Powell, Poshard, Simon, Gray, Bradley, and Phelps.
Republicans will have a primary to select their candidate to succeed state Rep. Mike Unes in the Legislature, and Democrats will have a candidate in the November general election.
Sam Goddard, a Pekinite who runs his own logistics and trucking company, filed nominating petitions Monday in the race as a Republican. Moments before the filing deadline, so did Corey Campbell of Pekin, a Caterpillar Inc. employee.
Both will face [Republican] Pekin Mayor Mark Luft, who filed his petitions a week ago for the seat that takes in parts of Tazewell, Fulton and Peoria counties. Unes, R-East Peoria, announced last month that he’s retiring at the end of his term. […]
Josh Grys of Pekin filed for the seat as a Democrat on Monday afternoon, and is unopposed.The father of four boys said he plans to focus on issues including education — he’s a former teacher — as well as criminal justice reform and health care within Illinois.
Democratic Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten have no primaries this time around. Seven Republicans are angling to run against Underwood in the 14th Congressional District. And Casten will watch as Republicans Jeanne Ives of Wheaton and Jay Kinzler of Glen Ellyn duke it out in a GOP primary to face him for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Shimkus’ seat: Four Democrats and four Republicans are running for the 15th District seat now held by Congressman John Shimkus, who’s retiring. The big news here is that state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, didn’t file. That means the race is wide open for the GOP — as it’s seen as a Republican seat. Frontrunners are Kent Gray, who worked as state director for Donald Trump in 2016, and Mary Miller, the wife of state Rep. Chris Miller. […]
Democrats are targeting some Republican-held House seats — this could be a challenge for the state GOP as its fundraising efforts are dwarfed by Dems. A top target is Tom Morrison, a Glen View Republican who just barely won his 54th District race in 2018. Two Dems will battle to face him in November. Republican Rep. Grant Wehrli also faces Dem opposition, which will be decided after the primary.
And interestingly, Republican Brad Stephens, the Rosemont mayor who was appointed to his 20th District seat to succeed Michael McAuliffe, will face November competition. Democrats are Michelle Darbro, a Chicago firefighter, and R. Cary Capparelli, whose father held the seat from 1971 to 2004. The younger Capparelli has run for other elected seats — sometimes, even, as a Republican.
…Adding… Also filing in that Shimkus district yesterday was Kimberly Wade. I’m told Rodney Davis’ people helped her gather petitions, but she filed just barely enough so she may not stay on the ballot. Davis featured Wade at the 2016 State of the Union address. She’s a children’s cancer activist.
Also, Chicago Ald. Edward Burke drew a last-minute competitor for 14th Ward committeeperson on Monday when Alicia Elena Martinez filed paperwork to challenge the embattled longtime city official.
Just minutes before the clerk’s office was set to close, former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger arrived at the office and filed his nearly 12,000 signatures to compete for a water reclamation district position.
In Springfield, Appellate Justice Nathaniel Howse filed his petitions on Monday to run for the vacancy created by retired state Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman. Howse joins seven who filed last week — including Justice P. Scott Neville Jr., who was appointed to replace Freeman and is now running for a full 10-year term.
The others who filed last week for the seat on the state’s top court are appellate court justices Jesse Reyes, Margaret Stanton McBride, Cynthia Cobbs and Sheldon Harris and lawyers Daniel Epstein and Clint Krislov. […]
Not filing her nominating petitions was Judge Cara Smith, former policy chief for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who was appointed to the bench earlier this year. Smith apparently opted not to seek a full term in the county’s 7th Subcircuit. She had been recommended for the vacancy by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, wife of embattled 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke.
Smith’s appointment sparked controversy, with some black aldermen and pastors accusing Burke of putting politics ahead of diversity.
* As of June 30, 2018, the General Assembly Retirement System had an unfunded liability of 85.16 percent. It had 132 “Active Contributing Members” and 302 retirement annuitants and another 115 survivors drawing benefits. Add in stuff like this and you can easily see why GARS is in such trouble. From the Center Square…
[Retiring Senate President John Cullerton’s] starting annual pension will be nearly $83,000, which is 85% of his final salary of roughly $97,600 a year. For most state retirees, the next year of retirement would come with a 3% automatic pension increase, bringing Cullerton’s pension to $85,500 a year.
But in July 2021, Cullerton will see his pension checks explode to nearly $128,000 a year, a 54% increase.
How? For each year he served at the Statehouse since 2003, when he turned 55 years old, Cullerton received an extra 3% increase to his eventual pension payment. After retirement, all of those increases are then applied to Cullerton’s pension as part of his first cost-of-living adjustment.
Should Cullerton retire in mid-January, he will have collected 3% increases for 17 years, good for a 51% pension boost. That will stack on top of his automatic first-year adjustment of 3%, coming to a total pension hike of 54%, according to his pension fund’s response to Freedom of Information Act requests. After that, he will continue to see a 3% bump each year.
This little-known benefit comes from a 1989 bill sponsored by former state Sen. Emil Jones Jr., which allows lawmakers who were elected prior to 2003 to hoard pension “spikes.” Cullerton, who was House Speaker Mike Madigan’s floor leader in the House at the time, was a member of the committee that finalized the bill. It passed both chambers with bipartisan support.
“(F)or those members of the General Assembly right now who … have maxed out … they are still contributing to that retirement system,” Jones told his colleagues at the time, according to the Chicago Tribune. “So all this does is give them a little 3% on their own money.” He was referring to lawmakers who had already maxed out their pension at 85% of their salary.
The same bill established a 3% automatic cost of living adjustment for all retired state workers and Chicago city workers. This benefit alone doubles a retiree’s pension in just 25 years. Even without the special sweetener provision, the 3% automatic benefit increases would bump Cullerton’s annual pension to more than $120,000 by the time he turns 85.
The position of Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer is created within the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation. The Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat from south suburban Olympia Fields, will resign her seat to join the Pritzker administration in the $220,000-per-year role of cannabis regulation oversight officer.
In September, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration made a splash by announcing Toi Hutchinson would oversee the implementation of Illinois’ new recreational cannabis program, laid out in landmark legislation the then-state senator played a key role in drafting.
A Pritzker spokeswoman said in a Sept. 26 email that Hutchinson’s salary would be $220,000, and that “the title is in statute so it’s Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer,” a job quickly dubbed “pot czar.”
But when Hutchinson officially started work for the administration Nov. 4, it was as “Senior Adviser to the Governor on Cannabis Control.” […]
The administration said in one statement provided in response to questions from the Tribune that the provision would not apply to the senior adviser position Hutchinson holds, and in another: “Toi Hutchinson was not appointed to the position of Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer,” directly contradicting the September email from Pritzker’s office.
No member of the General Assembly during the term for which he was elected or appointed shall be appointed to a public office which shall have been created… by the General Assembly during that term.
So, the position created by the General Assembly is still open. That could create questions about how she’ll fund her staff because the statute says the funding will come from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Same goes for the requirement that the office conduct a study of discrimination in the industry and make recommendations “for reducing or eliminating any identified barriers to entry in the cannabis market.”
* A Thanksgiving Day email (received about 1 o’clock in the morning) from Cary Capparelli, the son of former Democratic Rep. Ralph Capparelli who is running against appointed Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont) as a Democrat…
Rich:
Quick Update on my filing (or not filing yet):
My signatures have been complete for some time (1,462 of them) but some unfortunate circumstances kept me from filing.
First, a doctor’s appointment got switched around and wiped out Monday and Tuesday. So, we can blame the doc for cancelling. I did not want to wait til late January to reschedule and comfortable I can stand a challenge should that be necessary.
So, the plan was to file today but I had a double blowout (both fronts) and a bent rim on my car just outside Pontiac (I-55 is loaded with large pot holes). I waited four hours for a tow to Bloomington to get fixed and by that time it was too wait to file in Springfield.
Call it bad luck or whatever but now the plan is Monday.
* Text message exchange today with Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago)…
Delia: Good morning. On my way to Springfield with Nidia Carranza the teacher I’m supporting to replace [former Rep. Luis] Arroyo. It’s a new day in northwest side Chicago politics. We collected over 1500 signatures.
Jessica Gutierrez who ran against Reboyras for alderman is driving us. Young Latinas are building a new political movement in the northwest side and I’m helping build it. Feel free to share that and quote me lol
Me: hope the car is in sound condition!
Delia: Lol
Me: hey. stuff happens.
Delia: I know but don’t speak it into existence!
Me: sorry
* An hour later…
Delia: Lol. We made it!
Me: text me when she turns them in
* Two hours later…
Me: file yet?
Delia: No. On our way to board of elections. We had stopped for lunch.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Carranza filed at 3:37 pm. They were waiting to see if anyone else filed. There are four candidates in the race. Appointed Rep. Eva Dina Delgado, Dave Feller, Joaquin Vazquez and Carranza.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I was wondering if a, shall we say, more mainstream Democratic candidate to run against GOP Rep. Brad Stephens would surface. From a press release…
Chicago firefighter and paramedic Michelle Darbro, D-Chicago, will offer northwest side residents an alternative to dynasty politics as a candidate for state representative in the 20th House District, announcing her campaign Monday.
“I’m not a politician and I’m not from a political family dynasty, but as a firefighter I do know that service means putting others first, and I think that’s what we need in Springfield,” Darbro said. “There’s too much at stake for our families to sit back and let politicians continue prioritizing their political parties, padding their taxpayer-funded paychecks, and cutting deals that only serve their family members and insider allies, so I’m going to hold appointed Representative Stephens accountable for his record. I’m also going to be clear with people about my priorities – from the needs of our first responders, to easing the burden on property taxpayers, to making health care more affordable – because I know that we owe our strong communities to strong middle-class families, not political dynasties.”
An active-duty member of the Chicago Fire Department and member of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Darbro was inspired to serve others by her father, who volunteered for the United States Army and worked as a communications de-coder during the Vietnam War. Darbro graduated from the University of Chicago and was inducted into the school’s sports hall of fame as a three-sport athlete soon after. She and her wife Erika live in Chicago’s 41st Ward.
Darbro filed petitions to run for state representative Monday, after collecting the maximum number of signatures from local residents. The 20th House District is home to nearly 1,000 members of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, while another 500 members of Associated Firefighters of Illinois live in the suburban communities in the district.
* Transportation projects are funded by several things, including the state’s Motor Fuel Tax. But lawmakers also taxed things like parking to fund projects earlier this year. Doug Finke looked at the fine print of some new rules and found that IDOR intends to tax private parking at events like the Illinois State Fair…
(A)ccording to rules filed by the Department of Revenue to flesh out how it plans to collect the tax and who must pay it. The department has filed 23 pages of proposed rules for the tax that include many examples of who is affected. Among the examples is this one:
“Every year a fair comes to a town. The owners of property near the fairground sell parking spaces on their property for $10 per day. If an owner of property makes available for use more than 3 parking spaces, the owner is liable for collecting and remitting the tax.”
This could be pretty difficult to enforce. I mean, these are all-cash “businesses” run out of peoples’ front yards, or school, American Legion, etc. parking lots. It could wind up costing almost as much to enforce as the 6 percent tax would bring in.
* It’s not going over well with local state Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who says the GA will need to take a closer look at this topic, but his alternative may not attract a lot of suburban support…
Butler said some other changes might need to be considered. He thinks parking lots at Regional Transportation Authority facilities that are used by commuters should be taxed.
“That is a potential huge source of income,” he said. “If we’re going to put the tax on mom and pop operations parking cars around the fairgrounds, we certainly need to look at the RTA.”
* I almost forgot that today is the kick-off day for our annual awards. We don’t have a lot of time this year because of a late Thanksgiving, so we may need to double up on some days.
Every day until awards season is completed will include a reminder from me to donate to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. I usually raise money during my annual City Club speech, but I’m not doing that this year so I’m counting on you to help raise money for these fine folks. I’ll match the first $1,000. Please click here to contribute.
Our late, great commenter Wordslinger talked often about his Lutheran upbringing and he was enraged at the way groups like LSSI were stiffed during the impasse. So, I’d ask that you donate not just because of the good works LSSI does, but also in Wordslinger’s memory. Thanks.
* OK, let’s get to our first category…
* Best Springfield political bar
* Best Springfield political restaurant
We usually start with bartenders and waitstaff, but I thought I’d switch it up a bit today.
Remember to explain your nominations because this is more about the intensity of the nominations than the raw numbers. Also, please nominate in both categories. Thanks! And happy holidays!
Providing public transportation services to people with disabilities and mobility-limited seniors has not been a priority in the Chicago area—and it shows.
Stripped of the niceties, that’s the bottom line of a report out today by the Metropolitan Planning Council that proposes a host of solutions to remedy the problem, from appointing a mobility czar of sorts to requiring ride-hailing services to better link their operations to Metra and other train operators.
“Nearly every person in the Chicago region, or someone they care for, will face a disability that will impact on their mobility at some point in their life,” says the report. Yes, despite long-standing federal law, “the experience of getting around using (Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and other operators) ranges from fairly reliable and affordable to maddeningly frustrating and expensive.”
Some of MPC’s solutions will draw widespread nods from policymakers. Others, because of costs or political turf battles, may be a harder sell.
* But this part of the study was pointed out to me by someone who works in this field…
The Rebuild Illinois capital funding bill passed in June 2019 includes significant new dedicated transportation revenues and enables counties to levy an additional motor fuel tax to raise transportation funds. Every effort should be made to ensure that new investments make the system more accessible.
Additionally, other established transportation funding mechanisms are being diverted away from transportation projects such as the 0.25% RTA sales tax in the collar counties. Due to a political compromise, RTA sales tax revenue can also be used for “public safety” purposes. Funds used in this way generally go toward capital projects for law enforcement or other emergency services. As shown below, some counties choose to spend none of the RTA sales tax revenue on transportation. Ending the diversion of transportation revenue already being collected would enable the provision of a minimum level of accessible demand-response service for all residents. Given the scale of revenue invested in transportation annually, counties should appropriate at least some of these funds to dedicated universal mobility programs.
According to the study, Kane County’s spends 75 percent of its RTA sales tax revenue of $18.5 million on transportation. Will County spends 93 percent of its $24.9 million on transportation. Lake County ($32 million) and McHenry County ($10.6 million) spend 100 percent of their RTA tax revenues on transportation.
But DuPage spends none of its $52 million in annual RTA tax receipts on transportation. Zero.
Seeking to alleviate the growing burden of property taxes for Illinois homeowners, a group of legislators is considering a host of options that include consolidating school districts and allowing voters across the state to dissolve units of local government.
The legislative task force, created this summer by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, has a Dec. 31 deadline to deliver its recommendations. Its report is expected to lead to “very multifaceted” — and likely controversial — legislation this spring, said Rep. Sam Yingling, the Grayslake Democrat chairing the panel. […]
Funding for public schools in Illinois is heavily reliant on property tax revenue, and another possibility under discussion within the tax force has been school district consolidation and finding other revenue sources for education.
Also on the table: Reducing the 23-year limit on tax increment financing projects and overhauling the state’s property tax extension limitation law, which places a limit on tax increases that governments can enact. The collar counties became subject to that law in 1991, while Cook County was added in 1994.
The buses keep coming. On a brisk autumn day, one after another pulls up next to the grandstand to let out dozens of students. The kids walk in bunches past the flagpole. A metal sign near the main entrance, glinting in the sun, reads, “Dunlap High School.”
The high school may not look it, but it’s something of an oddity. It’s a typical suburban-style school in a country setting, framed by rolling hills and cornfields. Its enrollment of 1,300 students nearly equals the population of Dunlap, Ill., itself. But the vast majority of its students are not from Dunlap. They’re from Peoria.
The city of Peoria has its own school district, a chronically troubled system with a declining enrollment that serves mostly black students. About 70 percent are low-income. White families have been avoiding the troubles of the inner-city school district by moving to the northern part of town, where they can send their kids to Dunlap instead. As a result, Dunlap’s school system is booming. The number of students enrolled has nearly doubled since the 2002-2003 school year. Nearly two-thirds of Dunlap’s students are white; only 7 percent are black. The Dunlap School District isn’t shy about its enviable position. Until recently, the high school’s website made that clear in bold lettering at the top of its profile page: “The high school graduation rate is 90 percent, and the low-income rate is 10 percent.”
Today, I am announcing that I have terminated Eddie Johnson’s employment with the City of Chicago, effective immediately. Upon a thorough review of the materials of the Inspector General’s ongoing investigation, it has become clear that Mr. Johnson engaged in a series of ethical lapses that are intolerable. Mr. Johnson was intentionally dishonest with me and communicated a narrative replete with false statements regarding material aspects of the incident that happened in the early morning hours of October 17. Had I known all the facts at the time, I would have relieved him of his duties as superintendent then and there.
Perhaps worst of all, Mr. Johnson has misled the people of Chicago. The 13,400 sworn and civilian members of the Chicago Police Department who work hard every day deserve a leader who they can believe in. In public life, we must be accountable for our actions and strive to do better every day. And to achieve the reform and accountability in the department that we know is urgently needed, we require a leader whose actions reflect the integrity and legitimacy of what it means to be a Chicago Police Officer. I am confident that incoming Interim Superintendent Beck is such a leader, and that both he and the eventual permanent superintendent will serve with honor.
Lightfoot cited an incident in October in which Johnson was found asleep in his car near his Bridgeport home. He said he neglected to take a prescribed medication and became lightheaded before he decided to pull over, but Lightfoot said he told her that he also had “a couple of drinks” at dinner before driving home. […]
Johnson’s firing is just the start of a high-level shakeup of the department, a source told the Sun-Times.
Had Lightfoot known all of the facts, she wouldn’t have participated in a celebratory press conference with Johnson announcing his retirement, she said.
Firing Johnson is an indication she will demand “The old Chicago way must give way to new way” of ethical leadership. Supervisors in the police department will not get away with ethical lapses, she said.
In a message the mayor sent to Chicago police officers, she wrote: “While I recognize this news comes as a surprise to most of you, this was a decision I felt was absolutely necessary to preserve the legitimacy and honor of the Chicago Police Department. I deeply respect the work that each of you undertake every day and you deserve a Superintendent who lives up to the ideals that I expect each of you to exemplify.”
* Uh-oh…
Mayor Lightfoot said there is additional information about Johnson’s conduct that she is not revealing “out of deference to his wife and children.” https://t.co/KuTbA2meuZ
NEW: Chicago Inspector General's office confirms its probe of Eddie Johnson's October incident is not yet complete. It's unclear whether she was given a heads-up on early findings leading to today's firing.
The New York political consulting firm, MACIAS PR, has released the first political poll for Illinois’ Seventh Congressional District, revealing more than half of all Democratic voters believe Rep. Danny Davis should be fired. The poll also found 77 percent of registered Democratic voters are concerned over the source of Rep. Davis’ campaign funds.
The phone poll was conducted November 11th-21st and has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percent. The Seventh Congressional District encompasses all of downtown Chicago going south to West Englewood, north to Old Town, east to the lake, and west through Garfield Park, Austin, Oak Park, and extending to Hillside.
A poll taken over eleven days of 236 registered Democratic voters? And check out the questions…
1. What is the most important issue to you? Press, 1) Healthcare [49%] 2) Criminal Justice Reform [24%] 3) Education [27%]
2. Your Congressman has missed a vote, every other week - should he be fired? Press, 1) Yes [52%] 2) No [47%]?
3. Your Congressman has received the super majority of his campaign funding from special interest groups. Does this concern you? “Yes” [77%] or “No” [22%].
Wait. No mention of Danny Davis’ name? This isn’t exactly an open seat. Davis was elected to Congress in 1996. He’s a well-known entity.
Also, I couldn’t get a definitive response about how many landlines and mobile phones they called. And no racial demographics were provided.
The most recent FEC filing report also found Davis was having a difficult time raising money against a first-time Congressional candidate, Kristine Schanbacher, who outraised Davis approximately 3-1 and raised more money than all of the reported candidates combined. Schanbacher raised $166,172.34 in the most recent amended FEC filing report compared to $57,125 raised by Davis.
$166K isn’t exactly a ton of money in an expensive media market like Chicago and I’m pretty sure Davis can raise more cash.
Do better.
…Adding… As a commenter points out, as of 11:28 this morning Schanbacher still hadn’t filed her petitions.
* Art Jones, a perennial candidate who was a leader of the American Nazi Party, filed this morning to run as a Republican in the 3rd Congressional District. Jones won 26.5 percent of the vote against Democratic incumbent Dan Lipinski last year.
Also filing again today is 9/11 "truther" and general conspiracy theorist Bill Fawell, again seeking the IL-17 GOP nomination.
He was disavowed by local GOP'ers in the district after he won the nomination by default in 2018 and people looked at his past writings. https://t.co/sW7OWpigcr
The Illinois Republican Party vehemently condemns Arthur Jones’ candidacy. His racism and bigotry have no place in our party or American politics. As we did in 2016 and 2018, we will oppose his candidacy in every way possible.
* “Considering” is probably putting it mildly. Press release…
State Rep. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) announced on Sunday night she is considering running in the special election for the 11th District State Senate seat vacated last week by Sen. Martin Sandoval.
“It is long past time for ethical, principled, progressive leadership to fight for the working families of the 11th District,” said Rep. Villanueva. “I’ve spent my career as a community organizer, as an advocate for immigrant communities, and now as a progressive state representative standing up for the families of the Southwest Side–and I’m ready to step up and lead the way forward as we bring needed change to this seat.”
“This isn’t a decision I can make alone,” said Rep. Villanueva. “I’ve spent the last several days talking with leaders and constituents. If I hear from community voices that they will support my run, then we’ll take the leap together.”
To ensure she can qualify for the ballot if she does decide to run, Villanueva said, she will need “all hands on deck” to gather the needed 1000-3000 signatures by the December 9 deadline, and said she will need supporters to join in the effort.
The sudden resignation of Sen. Sandoval, embroiled in a federal investigation into corruption allegations, triggered the special succession process that will lead to a March 17 special election to fulfill the remaining two years of Sen. Sandoval’s term.
Villanueva was sworn into the House of Representatives in July 2018. In her tenure as state representative, she has championed cannabis legalization, the Reproductive Health Act, legislation to protect immigrant rights, and the bill that creates a pathway to a fair income tax, which would require the very wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes.
And Edgar Gonzalez Jr., a constituency services liaison for Congressman Chuy Garcia, is already knocking on doors for signatures to replace Villanueva.
“I’ve spent the last several days talking with leaders and constituents. If I hear from community voices that they will support my run, then we’ll take the leap together,” Villanueva said in a release Sunday expressing her interest in the Senate seat.
Villanueva and Gonzalez are backed by [US Rep. Chuy Garcia] and House Speaker Mike Madigan. That support is important because candidates only have one week — a special filing period from Dec. 3 through 9 — to turn in the 1,000 required petition signatures (or about 3,000, for a cushion). That’s a big lift for any candidate. Money doesn’t get signatures, organizations do.
Of course, Garcia and Madigan know this so it’s no coincidence they were ready with candidates to jump in upon Sandoval’s exit announcement.
…Adding… As noted in comments and as I told subscribers earlier today, Edgar Gonzales has to turn in his petitions by the end of today to get onto the ballot. The special filing period is only for the Senate seat.
As we’ve already discussed, Sandoval’s resignation takes effect on January 1, so the district’s committeepersons will have 30 days to replace him. Madigan’s 13th Ward and former Ald. Mike Zalewski’s 23rd Ward organization have enough weighted votes to do it on their own.
* Good question in comments…
(F)ormer Chicago Ald. Michael Zalewski, whose home was raided by the feds earlier this year, is on the committee to replace Sandoval. Will the Speaker demand that Zalewski recuse himself to make sure the selection process is not tainted?
* The Question: Should 23rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Mike Zalewski recuse himself from the Sandoval replacement process? Make sure to explain your answer, please. Thanks.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Mike Zalewski, the committeeperson’s son, just texted me that his father “is recusing himself from the Sandoval pick. Won’t attend a slating, won’t execute a proxy.” So, the question is now moot. Thoughts?
In his first 11 months in office, Gov. JB Pritzker has made 324 appointments to key posts within his administration and to state boards and commissions — a diverse group that’s 50 percent female and approximately 40 percent people of color.
As part of an occasional series on the diversity of Pritzker’s picks for these positions, The Daily Line has been tracking racial and gender diversity of those the governor has appointed to head up state agencies and serve on state boards and task forces. […]
Illinois is one of the nation’s most diverse states. According to the latest stats available from the U.S. Census Bureau, the people of Illinois were 61.3 percent white, 17.3 percent Hispanic, 14.6 percent black and 5.7 percent Asian. […]
Pritzker has mostly met those diversity goals, with 163 women named to director posts for state agencies and to state boards and commissions, and 130 people of color appointed by the governor since January. Pritzker’s hires in the governor’s office are also a diverse group, though The Daily Line’s analysis does not extend to those who report directly to Pritzker.
I couldn’t possibly count the number of times House Speaker Michael Madigan’s most trusted adviser and I went out together in Springfield, mostly with other people but sometimes just us. Yes, he was a useful conduit into Madigan’s mind, but we were also friends, even though we regularly argued about almost everything having to do with Madigan. I didn’t write “nice” things about Madigan because of him, but I felt that I did write informed things.
I respected him, but I now know that he lied to me.
McClain told several folks and me that he wasn’t being paid by Commonwealth Edison after he officially “retired” from lobbying in late 2016. He regularly joked about being on a tight budget whenever he came to Springfield to meet with Madigan.
But he wasn’t telling the truth. WBEZ reported Nov. 13 that ComEd paid McClain $361,000 for “legal services” in 2017 and 2018. The company claimed the designation was an error after reporters pointed out that he’d deactivated his law license. He was actually paid for “political consulting services,” a company spokesperson said.
Why he felt the need to lie about something as inconsequential as getting paid by ComEd simply baffles me. But more importantly, it’s totally natural to feel that if he would lie about that, you gotta wonder what else he did.
The Democratic political world in this state is freaked out about McClain being in the crosshairs. First they learned that the insider’s house was raided in mid-May, and then they found out that the government was listening to his phone conversations.
And then it was revealed that McClain foolishly overshared information in emails to a group of campaign bundlers and a presumably smaller group of lobbyists. We also discovered along the way that he recruited a handful of pals to make secret payments to Kevin Quinn, the brother of Madigan’s alderman who was fired for sexually harassing Alaina Hampton. McClain warned Quinn by email not to divulge that secret to anyone.
But some of the panic is a little overblown. For instance
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s campaign operation is striking back against a group of former workers who’re suing for racial discrimination.
Lawyers for Pritzker’s campaign say eight of the 12 defendants have blown deadlines, provided incomplete answers to questions, and ignored obligations to sit for depositions.
Because of that, they’re asking a federal judge to dismiss those plaintiffs from the case.
1. After weeks of attempting to schedule Plaintiffs’ depositions, eight Plaintiffs still have not provided available dates for their depositions to occur by the extended December 10 deadline.
2. In addition, none of the Plaintiffs have supplemented the information they withheld from their interrogatory responses based on untimely objections that the Court ruled they had waived. They have taken the position that the Court ordered them only to supplement their document productions.
Defendants request that the Court enter an order (1) dismissing with prejudice the claims of the eight Plaintiffs whom counsel have refused to provide dates for depositions to occur by December 10, (2) compelling the remaining four Plaintiffs to supplement their interrogatory responses with information withheld on the basis of untimely and waived objections and ordering Plaintiffs and their counsel to pay Defendants’ reasonable fees and costs associated with retaking any deposition based on late supplementation, and (3) granting Defendants’ reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs in bringing this motion. […]
Plaintiffs’ consistent position has been that their counsel are simply too busy to complete discovery in the time period ordered by the Court. Defendants cannot effectively defend this case unless they take Plaintiffs’ depositions, and the only way to do so now is to again extend discovery–which would effectively reward Plaintiffs’ misconduct. In these circumstances, while dismissal is a serious sanction, Defendants respectfully submit it is the right one here.
Finally, on September 19, Defendants received a CD containing the discovery responses and document productions. The discovery letter accompanying the materials was dated September 16–three days after Plaintiffs said they mailed the materials–and neither of the two separately mailed packages had any postmarks indicating when they had been sent. Despite finally responding more than six weeks late, Plaintiffs nevertheless raised several objections, confirming during a subsequent meet and confer on October 1 that they withheld documents based on those untimely objections. The verification pages that Plaintiffs submitted with their interrogatory responses further showed that several Plaintiffs did not complete their responses until September–well after the August 2 deadline.
…Adding… Some context…
Among the 8 is the plaintiff who made claims about #Peoria hotel accommodations.
A former campaign worker has reached a $275,000 settlement with four of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political committees over allegations of sexual harassment by one of his top lieutenants and allegations the speaker’s Democratic team had blackballed her, the Tribune has learned.
Alaina Hampton filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 accusing Madigan’s political operations of retaliation after she reported inappropriate behavior by Kevin Quinn, a veteran aide whom the speaker has ousted.
The settlement comes a little more than a week after the Tribune reported that Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain, an ex-lobbyist for ComEd, had orchestrated for other current and former ComEd lobbyists to give Quinn contracts after Madigan fired him amid the scandal. The more than $30,000 in payments to Quinn and emails about the work are part of a sweeping federal investigation into ComEd lobbying activities, the Tribune has reported. […]
Of the settlement, Hampton will receive $75,000, according to Shelly Kulwin, her attorney. Kulwin said his law firm would receive the bulk of the rest of the funds, but a portion also will go to Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, an organization that has helped women impacted by sexual harassment cases since the beginning of the national #MeToo movement.
* Press release…
Following is a statement from Alaina Hampton regarding the settlement she and her attorneys have reached with the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Democratic Majority, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and Friends of Michael J. Madigan:
“My case against the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Democratic Majority, the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and Friends of Michael J. Madigan has been resolved. Going public with my story and pursuing a cause of action against some of the most powerful people in this State, and people I cared about, has not been easy. The past three years have taken a toll on me, so I am relieved to move forward with my life and put these events behind me.
“Since speaking out publicly nearly two years ago, we have seen positive changes in this State. The legislature has passed sweeping legislation to deal with sexual harassment, which achieves important gains–although there is still more to be done. Others have come forward as well, leading to multiple firings and resignations of abusive men. Lastly, a space has been created for an open and honest dialogue about sexism and abuse in the workplace that I’m confident will continue.
“Now more than ever, I know how important it is for women and others in the workplace to live in a society where we address these issues head on without fear of retribution and have in place resources to help victims and survivors heal. I am committed to continuing to advocate for and work on behalf of those fighting for justice and those working to move forward with their lives after trauma. On December 3, I am convening a #MeToo Meetup so that others who share this commitment can connect, exchange ideas and work together to make sure we can one day live in a world where no one has to face sexual harassment and violence at work or anywhere.
“I would like to thank my legal team at Kulwin, Masciopinto & Kulwin, LLP, the Times Up Legal Defense Fund, Joanna Klonsky Communication Strategies, and everyone else who has supported me throughout this process. No one can go through this alone, and no one should have to. I hope to be a source of support for others who experience sexual harassment and abuse.”
* Madigan spokesperson…
We are pleased with the agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Speaker Madigan remains committed to protecting employees, volunteers and candidates who care about working families and the rights of women, minorities and others whose voices are often silenced. Creating a fair and welcoming workplace is a priority for Speaker Madigan and the Democratic Party of Illinois. Over the last two years, the Speaker and the party have made significant changes to strengthen training, policies and reporting procedures for staff and volunteers to ensure their rights are protected.
*** UPDATE *** Good for her…
A National Democratic consulting firm hired me to be their 501c3 and 501c4 Director working with nonprofits & cause campaigns beginning in January.
I will be starting their Chicago office & still able to work with political candidates. https://t.co/EGSbI74sx8
Another relic of Tim Mapes’ days as House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff has passed into history.
Mapes could be a kind and generous man to his friends and family. He was often the delightful life of the party when he chose to go out.
But the dude also had a wide and nasty mean streak and was a control freak beyond anything I’ve ever seen at the Statehouse. Outside of the aforementioned friends and family, only a few eyes watered up when he was ousted from his chief of staff job and executive directorship of the Democratic Party of Illinois after being accused of sexual harassment last year.
Every two years, Mapes would head over to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ office on the Friday before the candidate petition filing period officially opened on Monday and stake out the House Democrats’ first place in line.
The House Democrats have built a huge and efficient petition-gathering process. After tens of thousands of signatures are gathered, a specialized team goes over them with a fine-tooth comb to make sure the signatures are valid. And then the forms are checked by lawyers to make sure the required information is properly filled out.
Two years ago, Mapes had copies made of every petition submitted by every candidate, regardless of party. The organization entered all the names of every petition circulator into a database so that the union behind Sam McCann’s third party gubernatorial bid could avoid breaking the law by unknowingly using a circulator who’d also gathered signatures for a Democratic or Republican candidate.
They take this petition stuff super-seriously, in other words.
Anyway, Mapes would stick around for a half an hour or so on those Friday afternoons and then “volunteers” from his House staff would take turns camping out in front of the board’s office throughout the weekend without pay. Mapes would return on Monday morning before the election board’s office opened and triumphantly stand at the front of the line with all the House Democratic candidate petitions in tow.
The ritual was seen as a rite of passage for young staffers and it was supposed to promote unity and project an image of power and toughness to the Republican Party and everyone else.
”We’re so determined to win we’ll even camp out for days in the freezing cold just to secure the first place in line,” was the thinking.
Mapes also clearly used the exercise to find out who would endure whatever he commanded and, more importantly, who wouldn’t.
But it was downright cruel and unnecessary. I always felt so sorry for those folks. It gets cold in November and expecting young people to risk their health to satisfy the demands of an older man’s ego was a bit much.
Plus, it didn’t actually accomplish anything. All anyone has to do to qualify for the first ballot position is make sure they join the line with their petitions at the board’s office before 8 o’clock on the first Monday morning of candidate filing.
Madigan’s new issues staff director Craig Willert decided to abandon the practice this year. There was no “volunteer” campout the weekend before the first day of filing on November 25th.
The old-timers may mutter about how these kids today just don’t have the gumption that they did back in their day, but old-timers are gonna old-timer. Not every tradition is a good one.
This change tracks with some others made to Madigan’s operation in the past few months or so.
State staff are now required to submit applications to work on campaigns, for instance. In the past, it was just assumed that staff would work campaigns, paid or unpaid, whenever their participation was deemed necessary.
And, to be clear, lots of people prefer working campaigns to Statehouse government work. The Issues Staff is basically the campaign staff who have state jobs during session months. Many or even most of those staffers signed up for the campaign experience more than the policy work.
But not everyone is so gung-ho. Secretaries and others are often roped in to work at phone banks. Some members of the legal staff do legal work for campaigns.
From now on, though, only those who have submitted applications will be asked to work on campaigns. And all staff were told that their state jobs did not rely on their decision to submit or not submit campaign applications.
”This is how it ends,” declared one morose House Democratic old-timer the other day when speaking of the new application requirement. Maybe, but it’s also how new things begin.
* I’ll be back Monday. Thanks so much for everything this year. And thanks to the skeleton crew of commenters who stuck it out all day today. I’ll talk at y’all on the flip side. Meanwhile, here is our traditional sign-off…
* According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, embattled state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) has submitted his resignation effective January 1, 2020 at 12:01 pm.
That resignation date will trigger a special nominating petition filing period which, according to the Board, will run from December 3-9. The usual signature requirement will apply in order to qualify for the spring primary ballot.
The committeepersons in the district will also have 30 days after the resignation date to choose a replacement. That person will then serve until December 7, 2020, according to the board.
…Adding… The 13th and 23rd Wards have enough weighted vote combined to make the appointment on their own.
…Adding… More…
Sandoval’s offices and home were raided by the feds in Sept. 24. He hasn’t been seen since. But he’ll have gotten to collect four months’ worth of pay by the time he finally resigns. (By resigning on Nov. 1, Rep Luis Arroyo also got to be paid for November). https://t.co/1K2BGfRSrW
* There had been rumors that Senate President John Cullerton would also submit a similar resignation this week and therefore trigger the special nominating petition filing period. But Board spokesperson Matt Dietrich said they’ve been told this won’t happen.
If Cullerton waits until after the filing period ends, Cullerton’s replacement will effectively be the party’s nominee and won’t face the voters until November of 2020. The district is overwhelming Democratic, however, so the appointment is the replacement, barring some divine intervention.
* I am a devotee of Rick Pearson’s Sunday Spin show on WGN Radio, but I’ve never once listened to it live. I mean, 7-9 on Sunday mornings? Nope. Hard pass. I need my beauty rest (desperately, even). Instead I listen to it online at my leisure.
Maybe I’ll get my first chance at listening to it live now, except if the Bears are playing the afternoon game…
The music of Ol’ Blue Eyes will air exclusively from 6:30 to 9 a.m. Sundays on WGN 720-AM, the Nexstar Media news/talk station announced Tuesday.
Starting December 8, David Plier will host the locally-produced showcase devoted solely to the classic tunes of Frank Sinatra, leading into “Dean Richards’ Sunday Morning” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. […]
To accommodate the new addition, WGN will move “Steve Dale’s Pet World” to 5:30 a.m. Sundays and “The Sunday Spin: Politics with Rick Pearson” to 5 p.m. Sundays.
JUST IN: According to a court filing made public today, federal prosecutors say they were unable to bring criminal charges against Dorothy Brown because of lies told by two of Brown's employees to a federal grand jury investigating bribes-for-jobs scheme in the clerk's office.
Federal prosecutors want a judge to send a longtime Dorothy Brown worker to prison for more than two years after they said she lied to a grand jury, “threw a wrench in the wheels of justice and ground them to a halt.”
They also said the lies Beena Patel told the grand jury investigating job-selling allegations in the office of Brown, the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, “directly impacted the government’s ability to charge those most culpable in the illegal activity.” […]
The feds’ investigation centered in part around a $15,000 payment by Sivasubramani Rajaram allegedly to land a job at the clerk’s office. The feds say Rajaram made a $5,000 cash payment at a meeting at the Corner Bakery across from the Daley Center. But when prosecutors asked Patel about that meeting in front of the grand jury, they said Patel gave misleading answers.
“She attempted to minimize her own involvement by stating that Rajaram slid the envelope containing $5,000 in cash directly to the Clerk,” McShain wrote in Tuesday’s memo.
Prosecutors said it was Patel who accepted the cash.
…Adding… Mike Cabonargi, candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County…
The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County should be held to the highest ethical standards in order to foster access to justice. It should not be an office where Federal investigators spend years combing through allegations of corruption and lies, ultimately eroding the trust that should exist between the people of Cook County and the court system. It is time to usher in a new era of justice and credibility, and as a former Federal prosecutor, I’m the only candidate with a Reform Plan to do so.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is generating revenue of $50,000,000 a year through selling drivers’ personal information, according to a DMV document obtained by Motherboard.
DMVs across the country are selling data that drivers are required to provide to the organization in order to obtain a license. This information includes names, physical addresses, and car registration information. California’s sales come from a state which generally scrutinizes privacy to a higher degree than the rest of the country. […]
The document doesn’t name the commercial requesters, but some specific companies appeared frequently in Motherboard’s earlier investigation that looked at DMVs across the country. They included data broker LexisNexis and consumer credit reporting agency Experian. Motherboard also found DMVs sold information to private investigators, including those who are hired to find out if a spouse is cheating. It is unclear if the California DMV has recently sold data to these sorts of entities. […]
In an email to Motherboard, the California DMV said that requesters may also include insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, and prospective employers.
Asked if the sale of this data was essential to the DMV, Marty Greenstein, public information officer at the California DMV, wrote that its sale furthers objectives related to highway and public safety, “including availability of insurance, risk assessment, vehicle safety recalls, traffic studies, emissions research, background checks, and for pre- and existing employment purposes.”
* I asked Secretary of State Jesse White’s spokesperson Dave Druker if Illinois does this. His response…
We provide information to eligible groups in accordance with the national Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and state law. Such sources include law enforcement, courts, government agencies, insurance companies and employers hiring people, especially for driving positions. All agreements are signed off by our legal department and must meet the highest standards for privacy protection, and cannot be used for commercial solicitation. The money generated goes to the state’s general revenue.
I followed up with a question of how much money this brings in…
It has generated $41 million this year, and it is expected to reach $44 million for the calendar year.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** From Druker…
Hi Rich.
Just wanted to mention on the sale of driving records, social security numbers are not made available. Having driving records allows insurance companies to know the driving history of the person seeking insurance, and in the case of trucking companies, they are required to see an official driving record before they hire someone. Enjoy the weekend.
* As I’ve said before, the high point in Illinois government was around Fiscal Year 2001. After that, it’s been all downhill due to two recessions (post 9/11 and the international financial collapse) and vastly increased pension payments. Here’s Ted Cox at One Illinois..
“Protecting the Illinois EPA’s Health, so That It Can Protect Ours” was written by Mark Templeton, heading a team from the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, as well as former IEPA and U.S. EPA staffers Mary Gade, Doug Scott, and Bharat Mathur — all of whom took part in a media conference call Tuesday.
Templeton said the report stemmed from “mutual shared concern about Illinois EPA” and its role “to protect public health and the environment.” They cited dwindling staff and resources at the agency dating back to 2003. According to Templeton, staffing last year was down to 639, almost half of the 1,265 EPA workers on staff in 2003. IEPA staffing and budget were cut every year going back to 2003, and stood at $382 million in the current budget for the 2020 fiscal year. down from $522 million in 2003. He pointed out that all came from a fee system that hadn’t been readjusted since 2003. Gade added that Illinois is the only state in the Great Lakes Region 5 area of the U.S. EPA that doesn’t fund its state EPA through general appropriations.
Gade, who headed IEPA throughout the ‘90s, added that statewide inspections had dropped from a couple thousand a year to a few hundred. Citing the “cumulative impact of years of declining IEPA budgets,” she said the “slow, gradual decline … needs to be reversed and reversed quickly.” She said failure to adequately test emissions of ethylene oxide at Sterigenics in Willowbrook as well as firms in Lake County were one thing that had attracted much attention, but perhaps the greater danger was the smaller, unobserved “accumulating” problems in air and water statewide “that isn’t as clean as it needs to be.”
The report also cited that IEPA referrals to the Office of the Attorney General had declined from 212 under Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014 to just 78 under Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2016 before rebounding a little to 116 in 2017.
According to Mathur, there are now just four engineers in IEPA’s Chicago office, where previously there were more than a dozen, and the staffing situation was even more dire in central and southern Illinois.
* As we’ve discussed twice before this month, the legal definition of when a contribution is received is the day it is deposited in the bank. So, we don’t know exactly when these contributions were actually made without checking with the respective campaigns or ComEd’s PAC…
Since the Oct. 15 bombshell of Anne Pramaggiore's retirement from @Exelon, its @ComEd subsidiary has donated to the campaigns of five state pols. Of the five, state Sen. Lightford, lead contender for Senate president, got the most #twillpic.twitter.com/fcfJRyRsBj
* The Question: Should ComEd’s political action committee stop contributing to legislators’ campaign funds for a while? If so, for how long? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
*** UPDATE *** From Kimberly Lightford’s campaign…
Both checks mentioned by Steve Daniels were written on Sept 11, well before Anne Pramaggiore’s retirement.
A poll of Illinois residents found many think Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal will have a negative effect on the state’s businesses, leading to layoffs or relocation in response to the higher rates.
The Illinois Business Association, a nonprofit business advocacy group, commissioned a poll by Chicago-based Ogden & Fry asking Illinois residents about how businesses will fare under Pritzker’s proposed graduated income rates, which are dependent on voters passing a ballot initiative in 2020.
Of 615 randomly sampled likely 2020 General Election voters on Nov. 15, 68 percent agreed with the statement that “Businesses will cut jobs, or relocate jobs out of state, and Illinois’ economy will suffer” under the proposed rates rather than create more jobs to grow the state’s economy.
Fifty-seven percent said they didn’t trust Illinois politicians, saying they though lawmakers would raise rates in the future beyond what was initially proposed.
Um, OK. First of all, if a pollster doesn’t disclose the percentage of landlines and mobile phone contacts, that raises a red flag, and this pollster does not do so. Robopolls can only legally contact landlines.
Q1: Governor Pritzker has proposed a new tax increase, the Fair Tax, that changes Illinois’ flat income tax to a progressive income tax that taxes higher levels of income at higher rates. It also increases taxes on corporations and small businesses. The governor says the tax increase is needed to help stabilize Illinois’ budget and grow the state economy. Opponents of the Fair Tax say that raising taxes on the wealthy and businesses will lead to job losses, jobs moving out of state, and economic stagnation.
No indication that the tax increase would be shouldered by just three percent of individual taxpayers. Big problem.
Q4: Over the last decade, states with progressive income tax rates have seen slower growth in jobs and wages compared to states with flat tax rates or no state income taxes. In the most recent state to switch to a progressive income tax, middle class families have seen their taxes go up thirteen percent since it was enacted and the state lost 362,000 jobs. Knowing this, do you support or oppose adopting a progressive income tax?
Support 23.3%
Oppose 62.6%
Undecided 14.0%
I’m surprised the support is as high as it is after all that.
* What this poll means is that if the opponents’ message has unfettered access to voters, their argument likely wins. But that won’t happen. The governor has almost unlimited money he can spend on his own arguments.
Kate Schott, State Journal-Register editorial page editor turned interim editor after her predecessor was walked out of the building and a successor had second thoughts about accepting the job, has left the newspaper. Informed sources say she’s gone to work at the University of Illinois Springfield in the campus advancement office, which concerns itself with alumni affairs and raising money. […]
It’s unclear just who’s running the SJ-R since Schott departed this week. At last check, there is no editor, interim or otherwise, listed on the opinion page masthead where folks in charge are listed.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.
This time, gumshoes figured out that Alan Lowe, erstwhile executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, wasn’t up to snuff. The investigation, according to an IG report released last Friday, was sparked by a tipster who blew the whistle three weeks after I wrote a column detailing the sordid journey of the Gettysburg Address to Texas, where right-wing huckster Glenn Beck displayed it along with an exploding rat and other scrapings from his collection of stuff that includes a Darth Vader mask and a fake pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. If Elvis had run a thrift store, I’m guessing it would have looked a lot like the storage room at Mercury One, the Texas nonprofit headed by Beck.
Pretty much, the IG’s report parallels my January column that questioned why the ALPLM ignored protocols and entrusted the Gettysburg Address to an unaccredited museum holding its first exhibition under the supervision of a curator months removed from employment as a server at Pluckers Wing Bar. Labeling the Mercury One loan “reckless,” the IG called for Lowe’s head and said we’re fortunate that artifacts came back intact. Instead of being displayed in a gallery, the Gettysburg Address was hung in Beck’s office. To compare Beck to Ralphie unwrapping his Red Ryder BB gun doesn’t go far enough.
“It’s Christmas, come on!” Beck exclaims as the Gettysburg Address and other relics are taken from a crate. “Let’s open presents!” Lowe was absent in the video that was live-streamed while gawkers watched in person, contrary to recommendations from pros who say the arrival of valuables should be kept low key to minimize security risks. Lowe told the inspector general he was “off doing other things” when the speech and other artifacts were unpacked, and he was also busy elsewhere when relics were repacked for the return trip to Springfield. Beck, who at one point questions the need for gloves, helps carry the document valued at $20 million to a table in his office. “Come see it for yourself,” he tells his online audience. “Tickets are available at the door.”
Even after the inspector general received a complaint, Lowe played footsie with Beck, whose outfit asked to borrow more artifacts, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation.
* Sherri Garrett, you will recall, accused Tim Mapes last year of alleged sexual harassment and that led to his immediate ouster as House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff. Garrett approached Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) with her story after Cassidy had spoken out about Mapes.
Garrett sent this to Rep. Cassidy last night and Cassidy forwarded it to me with permission…
Kristen McQueary’s column was upsetting for me as someone who came forward to try to stop my harassment. Making the decision to speak out was incredibly difficult–but I just wanted the harassment to stop, and I felt I had no protection. I know how terrifying it is to decide to come forward, and I fear that columns like that of Ms. McQueary may have a chilling effect for those who are afraid that they won’t be believed, that their harasser or assaulter will be proclaimed to be deserving of redemption without having actually done anything to deserve said redemption.
This has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life. The truth is, nearly a year and a half since coming forward, I am still not fine. Mr. Mapes’ abuse has left a lasting effect on my soul. An apology never came my way from Mr. Mapes or the Speaker.
I wish for complete recovery for myself. I also wish that the person who harassed me would realize his wrongs and account for them. I would then love to see him go forward in life and be a better person to everyone. I don’t believe that can be accomplished when you do not recognize your wrongs.
That so many people are spending so much time and energy worrying about the well-being of the perpetrators and if they are okay is confusing to me. I believe we should all have a chance to rebound–but you must be willing to do what is right to earn that rebound.
Garrett is right, by the way. John Anthony denied being a sexual harasser and disputed accounts of the allegations that led to his firing at IDOC, even though some of it was caught on videotape. He only admitted to unspecified “mistakes,” and offered no public apology. Mapes has flatly denied wrongdoing.
Following Injustice Watch reporting last month about more than two dozen state correctional employees who participated in conversations that mocked or disclosed personal information about transgender inmates in private Facebook groups, the Illinois Department of Corrections announced a revised social media policy for its roughly 12,000 employees that goes into effect over the weekend.
The new social media policy specifically bars employees from sharing confidential information about prisoners or other staff, including details about current or past investigations and criminal or civil proceedings involving the department. The policy also prohibits any content that is vulgar, obscene, threatening, discriminatory, or disparaging based on race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.
New employees will be taught the policy prior to beginning their service, and all staffers will undergo training on the policy on an annual basis, the policy states.
In the two private Facebook groups, posts written by by low-level officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and other correctional staffers degraded transgender women, outed other LGBTQ prisoners, alleged sexual acts and disclosed information about medical treatments prisoners received.
The policy, which goes into effect December 1, also prohibits employees from sharing a wide range of information related to their employment with the department on social media, including their rank, title or position, department seals, logos, uniforms, and name tags, without express permission from the director.
All of the corrections officers named in Injustice Watch’s reporting had publicly identified themselves on social media as corrections staffers, had posted about their specific roles or had photos of themselves in uniform online.
The Office the Governor in Springfield will undergo renovations beginning the week of December 10 with the goal of improving functionality for staff. It is expected to conclude before the end of the year. The work will take place in the Governor’s working office and in the reception area on the second floor in the capitol. The Governor will be funding the renovations himself, at an estimated cost of $40,000.
Background
* The administration worked with the Architect of the Capitol to ensure the modifications will not compromise the historical integrity of the office.
* The work will be done by a union firm that uses only union subcontractors.
* The Governor’s working office is a small office that is beside the ceremonial office, and where the Governor primarily does his work.
* The Governor’s working office will be renovated to improve soundproofing to make the area inside and outside of it more private. In the reception area, a partition will be installed so the space can be more accessible to staff.
* The renovations to the reception area are temporary and can be easily removed at a future date.
* The Question: As long as he’s paying for the renovations, what “cool” stuff should the governor add to his working office?
Tuition and fees this year at the state’s 12 four-year public universities run $15,936, on average, according to data from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, about 50 percent more than 10 years ago and about 50 percent more than the national in-state average of $10,440, according to the College Board.
That national average of $10,440 is far lower than any public university here. The lowest are Eastern Illinois University ($12,642), Southern Illinois University/Edwardsville ($13,034), Governors State University ($13,452), Chicago State University ($13,532) and Western Illinois University ($13,665).
To defray costs, Pritzker proposed an increase this year in state financial aid available to college-bound students to $450 million and aims to take it to the highest level ever by 2023.
That’s a very good thing regardless of how out of line our tuition prices are.
But there’s also a real problem with the directionals and others being priced out. I mean, SIUC’s tuition is $15,774, which is $542 higher than University Of Illinois At Chicago and just $436 lower than UIUC, not to mention $5,334 higher than the national average.
Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) has upgraded to B1 from B2 the rating on the Chicago Board of Education, IL’s (Chicago Public Schools, CPS) general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) debt and non-contingent lease revenue bonds backed by the district’s GOULT pledge. The outlook had been revised to positive from stable at the B1 rating. The rating applies to $3 billion in debt.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The upgrade to B1 on the GOULT debt is based on the district’s improved liquidity, which reflects a significant infusion of new state and local revenue that will stave off material cash flow pressures for at least the next two to three years. In fiscal 2018 the district began receiving increased property tax authority for its pension contributions and support for pension normal costs from the State of Illinois (Baa3 stable). The upgrade to B1 also incorporates the district’s large and diverse tax base that serves as a regional economic center for the Midwest and tight governance connections with the City of Chicago (Ba1 stable), where the mayor appoints the members of the board.
Although revenue and cash have improved, the district’s credit profile remains constrained by several factors. The district will face growing costs associated with long-term liabilities and the recent five-year contract with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) that will likely keep reserves thin compared to revenues. The B1 rating also considers very high direct and overlapping leverage from bonded debt and post-retirement liabilities.
The B1 rating on the lease revenue bonds is the same as the rating on the GOULT debt due to the district’s GOULT pledge to make lease payments, a pledge which is not subject to appropriation.
RATING OUTLOOK
The positive outlook reflects the possibility of continued revenue growth and expenditure adjustments that will enable the district to absorb increasing costs associated with pension contributions, debt service, and the recently-ratified union contracts. It also incorporates the expectation that the district will not materially increase its reliance on short-term borrowing or other sources of non-recurring revenue.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE
- Continued and sustained growth in operating liquidity
- Ongoing expenditure adjustments and continued growth in revenue from state and local sources, including continuation of the state to meet its funding targets under the new evidence based formula
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE (or revision of the outlook to stable or negative)
- Declines in operating liquidity or increased reliance on short-term cash flow borrowing or other sources of non-recurring revenue
- Stagnant revenue trends that are outpaced by the district’s growing costs
* Earlier this month…
* S&P dings CPS contract deal with teachers: The agency’s junk rating on Chicago Public Schools debt is unchanged, but it warns the $1.5 billion deal “will widen a structure gap” in school finances that already were weak.
Asked if federal investigation of Democrats, including some in the state Legislature, is a drag on the ticket, [US Sen. Dick Durbin] said: “Of course it is. You have to take that seriously. … Any corruption in public office is unacceptable, by either political party, period.”
* While new systems are almost always difficult to use, this one may take the cake…
The rollout of a long-awaited upgrade to Cook County courts’ archaic case management system by beleaguered Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown’s office has caused disarray at the county’s main criminal courthouse on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Attorneys and clerks interviewed by the Tribune since the rollout two weeks ago complained the supposed advancement has instead resulted in incomplete case information, poorly trained staff and lengthy delays in securing the most basic documentation.
One lawyer said he waited 45 minutes for paperwork that under the old system would have taken just a few moments to obtain. With some routine tasks now taking far more clicks to complete, clerks reportedly have worked late into the night to finish the same workload they routinely completed during a normal workday. […]
To the surprise of veteran lawyers interviewed by the Tribune, the new criminal case management system does not even provide for electronic filing of court documents — the standard in federal courts for years and already mandatory in many Cook County civil divisions.
- Progressive reformer and Democratic candidate for Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Jacob Meister has issued the following statement about Dorthy Brown’s troubled rollout of the county’s new case management system:
“The rollout of the case management system in the criminal courts has been a disaster that many of us who regularly practice in the county courts saw coming down the road for a long time.
“Judges, lawyers and those who have to live with the clerk’s decisions were not consulted about the new system and users were not adequately trained. The system wasn’t designed to meet the realities of our fast-paced and often overcrowded court calendars, which is the second-largest court system in the country.
“The clerk’s office sufferers from a serious leadership problem, with decisions being made in secret, without transparency or an inclusive process. In order to avoid any more damage, the clerk needs to take a step back and address these issues before the case management system is rolled out in other divisions of our courts.”
…Adding… Press release…
Statement from Mike Cabonargi, candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
“We cannot achieve access to justice by amplifying the already existing problems in an office plagued with patronage hiring, a lack of transparency, and an outdated system. The newest broken system, highlighted in today’s Chicago Tribune, does nothing to restore the trust between the people of Cook County and the Circuit Court. It would be irresponsible and a misuse of taxpayer money to expand a system that’s already proven to be a failure. The office needs leadership that’s ready to usher in a new era of credibility and reform - and it’s why I’ve released a Reform Plan to lead on day one.”
The new director of the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge started his new gig Monday, three days after the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General released a report explaining why [Alan Lowe] was fired from his last one [as executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum]. […]
Lowe has also signed on to be the lead consultant for the quietly discussed National Museum of American Presidents that would – if financing and a number of other factors play out – be placed somewhere in downtown Knoxville.
The project has received little media attention but has been headed for nearly two decades by Knoxville’s Bruce Anderson and Danni Varlan. Recently it has picked up steam. […]
Anderson said Lowe’s issues in Illinois were largely political and will not impact his work with the proposed museum for Knoxville.
“He got permission from all the people he normally gets permission from to do those sorts of things, but apparently the board took exception that he didn’t ask them,” Anderson said. “I’ve known Alan for at least 15 years, maybe longer. I’m not worried at all that this is something that would cause me to think he still isn’t one of the best museum people in the country.”
Sending the Gettysburg Address by FedEx is “largely political”?
…Adding… Another one…
If “largely political” means overriding objections of qualified ALPLM historians and curators to fedex a priceless and irreplaceable document to an unaccredited museum with no experienced curatorial staff in order to obtain a small donation to pay down a $9 million debt, then guilty as charged.
* The celebration of life for longtime lobbyist Dick Lockhart will be held after the Third House holiday party on December 5th. Normandy Room in the Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan from 1:45-5:45.
This is particularly fitting because Dick would often host a party at his place after the Third House event.
* Keith Sias sent me this pic the other day of himself, Joe Lyons and Dick at a Sox game. I thought you’d like to see it…
There certainly are stories about the Illinois Republican Party also being accused of aggressive control-freakery. But I haven’t heard nearly as many complaints from that side as I have during my 20 years of covering Madigan’s office.
So spare me the mea culpa, the “woke” moment, the grasping press releases. Democratic women running under Madigan’s political umbrella have become adept at looking the other way.
* Last night…
Columnist Kristen McQueary: When you fall into a pit of despair, you survive only if someone kneels at the rim and extends a hand. For former state Rep. John Anthony, the hands were scarce. But they were strong. And now he is back with a radio show. https://t.co/1V2XuvY9Bx
As for the incident caught on surveillance tape, an Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice employee told investigators she was walking to an exit to go smoke a cigarette when she was approached by Anthony, who put his arm around her and asked if she was a corrections employee.
She told him she wasn’t. He then allegedly told her she had “nice t—, nice a–.” Then he stepped to the side and pressed himself onto her left thigh and licked her neck, the report says. […]
Other women at the party told investigators that Anthony had been inappropriately commenting to and touching them as well.
The behavior warranted a talk by another state employee during the party, according to the records. That discussion happened after a woman reported Anthony had touched her breasts.
McQueary’s column claims that only one woman alleged groping. There were clearly others that night. And if you think that was a one-off thing, you’d be mistaken.
From raising funds to finding jobs to praising the ways they’ve put the sordid stories behind them, I am fed up with stories about how #MeToo has ruined mens’ lives. What I still haven’t heard in any of the stories here is how any of these guys are trying to make things right 2/4
Finally, let’s spend a minute looking inward & wonder why we aren’t hearing about folks going out of their way for the victims in these stories & why so few victims are willing to come forward. Maybe, to borrow from the editorial, try kneeling at the rim & offering a hand? 4/4
Been thinking on this. There has to be room for harassers to learn & change. I believe many truly want to & can. But if you’re unwilling to accept & acknowledge the pain you’ve caused (READ: NOT YOUR OWN PAIN) & learn to live better, you’re leaving the door open to do it again. https://t.co/4MzEpCkZBr
This is just unbelievable coming from McQueary. She criticizes the women’s caucus every chance she gets when in reality we have spent our time doing the difficult work to change a culture and not chasing headlines. As a journalist she may want to work a bit harder on the other side of the story. Everyone deserves a second chance, absolutely. In this case the writer completely disregarded the women who chose out of fear to keep their story private and push through the pain. This type of journalism is why victims are afraid to come forward.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Legislative & Political Director for UFCW Local 881…
Looping back on this.
I personally witnessed John Anthony harass and assault women in Springfield. In a very memorable instance, we asked him to stop repeatedly and he just laughed it off.
Women should be believed and stories like this one in @chicagtribune are unacceptable. https://t.co/7mvyBgJzie
Thanks to a 2018 change in Illinois law, county parties statewide now use gender-neutral language. The March primary will mark the first time the updated language will appear on the ballot when voters choose Democratic and Republican ward and township committeepeople.
Jacob Kaplan, executive director for the Cook County Democratic Party, welcomed the change, saying “I think it’s a good thing anywhere it happens.” […]
Still, the “people” holding the Democratic Party posts are still mostly male — 30 men represent the 50 city wards, and 24 of 30 townships are represented by men, according to the county party’s site. And only four of the ten members of the party’s executive committee are women.
But at the helm is Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who became the first woman, and the first African American, elected Cook County Democratic chair last year.
