Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Sfondeles: Pritzker’s new nonprofit has already contributed $1.5 million to pro-choice candidates/groups

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tina Sfondeles has the scoop…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s newly created nonprofit to combat anti-abortion efforts has already contributed $1.5 million to the movement, including a share in the next big abortion rights battleground state: Virginia.

Think Big America’s contribution of $25,000 each to four state Senate Democratic candidates in Virginia, and an additional $150,000 to the state Democratic party, comes ahead of a pivotal Nov. 7 election that may reshape abortion restrictions in the state. […]

In Nevada, Think Big America also contributed $1 million to the Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom PAC, which is fighting for a November 2024 ballot question that would establish a “fundamental right to reproductive rights.” The newly formed PAC is affiliated with Planned Parenthood. […]

In Ohio, Think Big America contributed $250,000 to Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, a ballot committee made up of a coalition of reproductive rights advocates. Ohioans on Nov. 7 will be voting whether to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitution.

That Ohio spending is on top of the $1.5 million he dropped in Ohio earlier this year. Plus he sent his campaign manager to the state.

5 Comments

Afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s Chicago on the UAW deal with Stellantis and reopening and expanding the Belvidere plant…

The company’s decision to reopen the plant is the result of a two-year effort by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local officials, which ultimately enlisted the state’s congressional delegation and the White House to come up with a package of incentives to keep the Belvidere operation alive.

Pritzker and his staff served as a conduit between the company and the White House as they worked on ways to keep the plant going, including a federal grant program that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which focused on climate change and ways to move away from fossil fuels.

“This is exactly what the Biden administration created this grant for: converting existing (internal combustion engine) facilities to EV capability,” the governor said. […]

Pritzker says he was getting text messages from Stellantis and White House staffers as negotiations went into overdrive and talks went into the wee hours Thursday morning.

* Crain’s Detroit on Michigan’s big spending…

When it comes to landing electric vehicle-related projects, Michigan is known to be the highest bidder.

That’s because the state that put the world on wheels risked being squeezed out of the electric vehicle investment boom in North America. At least that’s how Michigan — and other states — have justified mammoth incentives packages for automakers reshaping their manufacturing footprints. […]

“Michigan is a great competitor. They have a deep pocketbook and a large auto workforce,” said Dan Seals, CEO of Intersect Illinois, the state’s public-private business attraction arm. “There is absolutely a bidding war component to this. The state does engage in that competition, but not to the extent Michigan does. I don’t know anybody that goes as far as Michigan does in that regard.”

Yet, Illinois took a page from the Michigan playbook when it created a $400 million “deal-closing fund” targeted at EV projects. A $125 million check will be cut from that fund for Chinese battery maker Gotion Inc. to build a pack assembly plant 50 miles south of Chicago, the company announced Sept. 8.

Illinois offered an incentive package totaling $536 million for the plant, expected to create 2,600 jobs. For Gotion’s cathodes/anodes plant near Big Rapids, which is expected to employ 2,350 and supply the newly announced Illinois factory, Michigan approved a package worth $715 million — including a $125 million cash grant. Michigan paid $304,255 per job, factoring in all the incentives, whereas Illinois paid $206,153.

* Let’s go back to the UAW contract victory. UAW President Shawn Fain was in Chicago a few weeks ago to speak at a rally…

Fain and the other speakers also focused on the importance of the Chicago Teachers Union — where Johnson was once an organizer — and how they have fueled the labor movement nationally.

“The CTU revived the strike and sparked a movement that spread across this country. By reforming their union and taking on the boss, the CTU inspired educators across the country to mount the biggest strike ever for decades,” Fain said. “And that’s exactly the kind of action and leadership we need. We need to inspire the working class of this country.”

The gains from the wider strike were impressive…

Details of the deal with Ford are emerging, and it includes a big increase in company contributions to 401(k) retirement plans. Workers also won the right to strike over plant closures, a victory that gives employees significant leverage. Two electric battery plants under construction also have a clear path to join the UAW.

Then there’s what happens if Ford closes a factory: The company will provide two years of “transition assistance” to laid-off workers. Anyone at the company at least three months will qualify — a major expansion. Those laid off will get health care plus about 95 percent of after-tax pay in the first year and about 50 percent of their wages in the second year. That’s a substantial cushion to help workers, and it would come mainly from the company.

* The Southern…

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced on Tuesday that the Du Quoin State Fair had more than 166,000 people attending this year’s annual event showcasing Illinois agriculture. The IDOA says that the fair continues to be an economic engine for the Southern Illinois economy.

Overall attendance for the 11-day fair this year was down a little more than 4,300 people in comparison to the 2022 attendance, but attendance topped the 2022 daily numbers on three days this year: Monday, Aug. 28; Thursday, Aug. 31; and Saturday, Sept. 2.

* Illinois Supreme Court…

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties.

Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour). […]

Amended Rule 299 also raises the maximum compensation amount for representation of an indigent defendant to $10,000, from its previous maximum of $5,000. […]

The amended rules are effective January 1, 2024. The Illinois Supreme Court Rules can be found here.

* AP…

The mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York are pressing to meet with President Joe Biden about getting federal help in managing the surge of migrants they say are arriving in their cities with little to no coordination, support or resources from his administration.

The Democratic leaders say in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday that while they appreciate Biden’s efforts so far, much more needs to be done to ease the burden on their cities. […]

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who is leading the coalition, said nearly every conversation he has had with arriving migrants is the same: Can he help them find a job, they ask.

“The crisis is we have folks here who desperately want to work. And we have employers here who desperately want to hire them. And we have a federal government that’s standing in the way of employers who want to hire employees who want to work,” Johnston said.

* But of course…

Not at all surprised to see the "but what about our homeless" anti-migrant crowd also vote against funding a program to help the homeless. pic.twitter.com/p29KNee6X1

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) November 1, 2023

* And, finally, I once again agree with Kennedy…

The 2023 White Sox set an almost impossibly high standard, but I don't think we're giving the Bears enough credit for the effort they've made to reach that standard. It's truly impressive and I salute them.

— Scott Kennedy (@ScottTKennedy) November 1, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Sierra Club | Majority of Illinoisans Regularly Breathe Unsafe Air, According to New Report: Roughly 9 million Illinois residents, comprising 71% of the state’s entire population, live in areas that regularly experience air that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined is unsafe to breathe, according to a report released by the Sierra Club. The report indicates that light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles massively contribute to the state’s ozone pollution.

* Block Club | McCormick Place Lakeside Center Will Close Blinds Every Night To Protect Migrating Birds: Instead of turning the lights off when the building is occupied, leaders at Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority plan to consistently close the blinds and are considering other bird-safety adjustments, according to a news release. […] To further protect birds, leaders are considering installing bird-safe film and barriers on the outside of the glass as well as adding additional decals inside windows, more shades and drapery inside and motorized controls for existing shades, according to the news release.

* Journal and Topics | State Rep. Gong-Gershowitz Attends Biden Executive Order Signing On Artificial Intelligence: State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17th) of Glenview sat in the front row of a signing ceremony for President Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) Monday (Oct. 30) in the White House, before coming back to chair hearings on improving AI protections in Illinois. President Biden’s executive order “establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more,” a White House fact sheet released on the order says.

* WICS | Resident who helped ISP trooper who was shot speaks out: A local resident says he ran outside to offer lifesaving help after hearing gunshots outside of his bedroom window to the Illinois State Police Trooper who was shot. Travis Rebbe ran outside his home on the 1600 block of Toronto Road and helped the injured trooper until EMS and police arrived. He said once he heard the gunshots, he knew he needed to help.

* WSIL | Construction officially underway on new Mississippi River bridge at Chester: This is a project made possible with the help of Governor JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program. According to MoDOT, “the current Chester Bridge has two 11-foot lanes and carries 7,000 vehicles per day. It connects the cities of Chester, Illinois and Perryville, Missouri across the Mississippi River via Route 51.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago charter schools face potential crossroads with new mayor, dozens of renewals: The high-stakes renewal process, which scrutinizes charter schools’ academic performance, financial practices, and operational compliance among other factors, comes at a pivotal time, as Chicago’s political landscape is shifting under a new mayor and looming school board elections. Charter communities wonder what it could all mean for their schools.

* Mark Ishaug | Make mental health a priority, and fulfill a promise from 60 years ago: While we have made a lot of progress in 60 years, it is important to focus on the parts of the Act that still need to be achieved and the gaps in mental health care that remain. The pandemic created an opportunity for a more public dialogue around mental health and wellness for everyone, with a focus on those who are often overlooked, particularly people dealing with long-term or disabling mental health conditions. During my time leading Thresholds, I have seen first-hand the importance of connecting with individuals in their own spaces and neighborhood settings, outside the traditional clinic experience.

* Sun-Times | President Joe Biden will visit Illinois Nov. 9 to tout White House agenda: President Joe Biden hits the Chicago area on Nov. 9 for a swing touting his White House agenda, with a likely fundraising event also on the schedule. The details of the visit, confirmed by the White House, are still in the works. Members of the Illinois congressional delegation have been notified by the White House the president will be making a visit Nov. 9 to the Chicago area, without adding any other information.

* NYT | Why pharmacy workers at CVS and Walgreens are protesting: Bled Tanoe, a pharmacist in Oklahoma City who used to work for Walgreens and now works for a hospital, said she was helping to spread the word about the walkouts because she was concerned that pharmacy chains had been telling workers for years to “work faster and work with less help.”

* Tribune | After retired Chicago-area priest loses life savings in scam common among seniors, friends and parishioners step up: Banzin said the ordeal started on Aug. 17 when he received an email from what he thought was PayPal, telling him there was a $699 charge on his account from eBay. Knowing this charge was “ridiculous,” Banzin contacted a PayPal support phone number he found online. Instead of the online payment company, he said he accidentally contacted a group of fraudsters.

* The Atlantic | Political Analysis Needs More Witchcraft: When trying to understand a political culture, you have to examine the society as it exists, irrational warts and all. And yet, most of us prefer to look at the world through a reverse fun-house mirror, in which the complex and sometimes-wacky beliefs of our fellow citizens are reflected back at us with the straight, clear-cut lines of reason and logic. We attribute voter behavior to policy proposals and economic data, rather than to the knock-on effects of widely held conspiracy theories or other nonrational beliefs.

* NYT | Five Minutes That Will Make You Love Thelonious Monk: Where other pianists played light chords with their left hand and quicker notes with the right, Monk played equally complicated notes with both hands, leading to complex arrangements that traversed the entire scale. But he never overplayed; his use of space between the notes elicited peace and tension equally.

* Chicago Mag | Dad’s Old Records: It’s easy to assume you know Jeff Tweedy. From his early days in Uncle Tupelo to 29 years at the helm of Wilco, the Grammy winner has crafted alt-country gems with heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics that offer his perspectives on love and life. But World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music, his third book, offers bet-you-didn’t-expect-that turns, including: When Tweedy tries out a new guitar, he plays “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive — “one of the most important” songs in his life.

* Tribune | Shedd Aquarium researchers report mass bleaching of coral reefs in warming Florida oceans: ‘Like a forest without trees’: Between 90% and 95% of corals they surveyed at 76 sites across the Keys and Dry Tortugas over the span of a week showed signs of extreme bleaching, said Shedd research biologist Ross Cunning. Some coral species, such as endangered branching corals like staghorn and elkhorn, were nearly all dead.

* Illinois Newsroom | Student filmmaker sheds light on influential Illinois politician in new documentary: “Uncle Joe Cannon” is a student-produced documentary that revisits the life of a prominent 19th-century Illinois politician. Joseph Cannon spent 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois — including eight years as Speaker of the House. Even when he led the Republican Party for years, he made it a point to always remember his constituents.

* Block Club | Nonstop Christmas Music Starts Thursday On 93.9 LITE FM: This is the 23rd year the station has celebrated its holiday music tradition. Last year was the earliest LITE FM started playing round-the-clock Christmas music — on Nov. 1. The light rock station will start its holiday programming one day later this year than last year.

* Lake County News-Sun | Tweaks made to Lake County’s Toys for Tots program; ‘It’s the greatest feeling in the world’: Participants in this year’s U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program will have a true holiday shopping experience on a selected day in mid-December where they will browse at a pop-up shop to select gifts for their children.

13 Comments

Here’s How To Make The Tax Credit Scholarship Better

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

We’ve been listening carefully to the governor, legislative leaders, and many members of the legislature about how to make the Tax Credit Scholarship better – and we now have an amended program proposal that does exactly that. Thousands of vulnerable kids are counting on us to put them before politics.

In response to direct feedback, our bill offers substantive improvements along with good-faith compromises which justify extending the Tax Credit Scholarship Program:

2. Reduce the overall size of the program to $50MM (down from $75MM) and reduce the individual giving cap to $500,000 (down from $1MM).

3. Reduce the tax credit for donors to 55% (down from 75%).

4. Encourage more middle-income donors by crediting donations of up to $5,000 with a 100% tax credit.

Illinois, let’s do the right thing. It’s about the kids, not the politics. Save the scholarships.

Comments Off

Asylum-seekers coverage roundup

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve seen this argument before and it’s a prime example of why simple solutions are usually neither: 1) Most everyone is already asked if they’d like to go to another city; 2) Transporting human beings against their will would be violating numerous state and federal laws. But, I suppose, the cruelty is the entire point here…

We have alas reached the point where a public commenter at Chicago City Council says Mayor should sign an executive order to bus migrants out of Chicago and all I can wonder is “How much would City Hall be blowing on GardaWorld and Friendly to manage THAT?”

— Chicago Bars (@chicagobars) November 1, 2023

* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked about the asylum-seekers earlier today…

We are going to have people that have work authorizations going to work soon. But that only covers a certain percentage, a little over half of the folks who have come here will be eligible to work over time as they receive their work authorizations.

He also said this…

They’re here legally. I want to be clear with people who call them ‘illegals.’ They’re not, these are not. Nobody is illegal, by the way, but they’re not undocumented. They’re here legally. And it is an obligation, I think, in a humanitarian crisis for us to step up and make sure that people aren’t starving or that they have a place to stay, that they get the basic health care that they need.

And this…

I have had numerous conversations with the federal government, both the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, about at the border making sure that if there is an effort, and there has been by the governor or various mayors in Texas, to load people on the buses to Chicago that the federal government should at least intervene to communicate with those folks who are being told to get on a bus to Chicago and whatever else they’re being told that you know, we are doing everything we can for the folks who are here but we do not have enough shelter with winter coming. It may be advisable indeed they should convince them that they maybe shouldn’t come to the city of Chicago during the winter, and that there are other places in the country they can go and the federal government ought to be helping to, you know, manage the logistics so people go to places where they, you know, can survive through the winter in a way that clearly is more difficult if you come to a place like Chicago, and I would say the same about New York and the same about Denver as we hit snow and winter.

So far, though, the feds have refused to take over logistics. They’re simply not helping.

* Sure seems to be lots of “miscommunications” in the city these days…

Nearly 3,000 migrants were sleeping unhoused at police stations Tuesday, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, waiting for space at any of the city’s nearly 25 shelters to open up.

Of that number, advocates estimate more than 1,000 are sleeping outdoors because there isn’t room inside stations.

Linda Bello and José Urribarri, parents of a young girl and boy, said they were able to sleep inside the Near North station overnight, but the new problem is it’s so cold now that staying outside the rest of the day is becoming unbearable.

Migrants at the station, like several others, aren’t allowed inside during the day. Police officials directed any comments about that policy to the mayor’s office.

A spokesperson for the city said the issue of migrants not being allowed inside at the Grand Crossing and Calumet District police stations, where the problem had been reported on social media, was due to “miscommunication.”

At the Near North station, migrants were still convinced they weren’t allowed inside during the day.

* CBS 2…

On Tuesday, the City of Chicago said it was providing coats and warm clothing at one location, and 21 warming buses as police district stations to provide temporary warmth.

But volunteers say that is not enough.

“The buses aren’t working, because people are reluctant to get on them in the middle of the night, for fear that their belongings will be stolen from their tents,” Fischer-Holden said.

Migrants we spoke with off camera echoed those concerns. But as temperatures dropped Tuesday night, they said the warming buses may be their only option.

Something else to keep in mind as temperatures start to rise a bit…

Amid Chicago’s recent cold snap, the city has been sending warming buses to 16 police districts where migrant families are sleeping in tents on cold and wet concrete.

“Even at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you can develop hypothermia with prolonged exposure or with wet clothing,” Beth Amodio, president and CEO of One Warm Coat, said. “And children are more likely to develop hypothermia because their bodies are not able yet to regulate their body temperatures like a healthy adult would be.”

* More from Isabel…

Oak Leaves | Oak Park trustees move to match $150K grant so village can aid migrants housed in tents at Chicago border:

* Tribune | Freezing temperatures, uncertainty and concern among migrants living outside Chicago police stations: ‘How are we going to survive winter here?’: Temperatures plummeted overnight to a low of 30 degrees at O’Hare International Airport, said the National Weather Service, and safety networks stepped in to react to emergencies brought on by the cold. Temperatures were expected to stay around 37 degrees with light snow flurries for 24 hours, weather officials said.

* Sun-Times | Unwelcome first snow for migrants at police stations: ‘It’s so cold it hurts’: Thousands of migrants, like Ortiz, are staying at Chicago Police district stations waiting for room in city shelters to open up. Many have found some respite in donations from passersby and city warming buses, but as the city gets its first snow of the season, all that isn’t enough to stave off the cold. “The cold was tremendous,” said Ortiz of the low temps the night before. “It doesn’t let you sleep.”

* ABC Chicago | Chicago migrants battle elements as winter nears; many at police stations spend days outside: “The police station wasn’t letting them inside during the day, we think that is changing but it’s not happening at every police station,” said volunteer Fran Zell.

* WGN | Migrants in Chicago face harsh winter conditions as city works to provide aid: The freezing temperatures and snowfall echo the growing concerns among migrant families sleeping on the frigid sidewalks of Chicago’s Police Districts. Migrant families, deeply concerned about the harsh conditions, say they do not know how much longer it will be before they get moved to shelters, causing worries about their children’s safety to grow.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago migrants’ lives are at risk in tents in cold weather, volunteer says: At the Austin (15th) District police station, 5701 W. Madison St., a group of migrants relied on goodwill to weather the cold. Volunteer Laurel Fischer-Holden, with the Chicago Police Station Response Team spends her days collecting donations – and then drops them off at the police station for the migrants. “What’s happening here is criminal,” said Fischer-Holden. “These are human beings, and they’re freezing. And we can fix it, but we’re not.”

* CBS Boston | Massachusetts emergency migrant shelters nearly full, families soon to be put on waitlist: Currently, the state spends about $45 million a month to house both homeless residents and migrants who are new to the state in existing shelters as well as various hotels and motels across the state. Massachusetts is the only state in the nation with a right to shelter law.

* NY Daily News | After tour, advocates beg NYC to ditch plan to house migrant kids at Floyd Bennett Field: On the heels of touring the city’s soon-to-open migrant shelter at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field, homeless advocates are pleading with Mayor Adams’ administration to reconsider housing children at the site, calling it a “patently dangerous” plan due to insufficient bathroom access, lack of privacy and other concerns.

* ABC | Denver Public Schools implementing new strategies to address increasing number of migrant families arriving: In October alone, Denver Public Schools welcomed 400 migrant students into the district, according to Adella Arredondo, the executive director of Family and Community Engagement for DPS. Between July and October 25, DPS welcomed 1,915 migrant students. The influx of students has meant a couple of things for the district. For starters, DPS leaders had to put a call out for more bilingual teachers.

31 Comments

Protected: Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comments Off

Question of the day

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Center Square…

An advocacy group is urging lawmakers to make Illinois a medical-aid-in-dying state.

The Illinois End of Life Options Coalition recently gathered at the capitol in Springfield to inform lawmakers about the need for them to pass medical-aid-in-dying legislation.

The group said the procedure is called medical aid in dying and not assisted suicide, as it is commonly known.

Ten states have legalized medical aid in dying, with Oregon being the first in 1997. More are considering legislation this year.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1997 encouraged individual states to engage in an “earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality, and practicality of” medical aid in dying to relieve unbearable pain and suffering.

A member of the coalition, Suzie Flack, lost her son to cancer and would like to see a gentle dying option.

“I am hoping to carry on and tell his story and to reach people so they can understand that an option like this does provide a lot of comfort to terminally ill individuals,” Flack said.

Jon Schweppe, policy director with the American Principles Project, said states shouldn’t be giving their residents the option.

“That really puts folks in a precarious situation where they think the noble thing to do is to choose to die and I think that’s wrong and it’s wrong to put families in that circumstance of having that choice,” Schweppe said.

Schweppe adds that the medical field should be about preserving and protecting life and doing no harm, and “this is the opposite of that.”

The coalition points to an Impact Research poll that showed seven out of 10 Illinois likely voters want the Illinois General Assembly to pass medical-aid-in-dying legislation.

* From the coalition…

Medical aid in dying is optional.

Optional for patients and optional for doctors. No person is required to use it. No doctor is mandated to provide it. It is illegal to force someone to use it.

Medical aid in dying includes strict eligibility requirements.

A patient must be an adult, have six months or less to live, be able to make an informed health care decision and be able to take the medication themselves.

The legislation includes more than a dozen safeguards.

Two doctors must confirm that the patient has six months or less to live — due to terminal illness, not because of age or disability. Two doctors and two independent witnesses must confirm that no coercion exists.

* The Question: Do you support this medical aid in dying concept? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

online polls

84 Comments

Senate Dems release new Chicago elected school board map proposal

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for the interactive map…

9am news drop: @ILSenDems have released new Chicago elected school board maps:
- 7 Black majority
- 6 Latino majority
- 5 White majority
No word on future hearings. A vote could come as soon as next week #twill pic.twitter.com/MmUdoHH041

— Ben Szalinski (@BenSzalinski) November 1, 2023

* Senate Democrats press release…

The Illinois Senate Democratic caucus released a new Chicago Elected School Board District map proposal, incorporating numerous suggestions made by the public and advocacy groups, including keeping more communities of interest whole.

The draft map is available for review at www.ilsenateredistricting.com, and reflects changes put forth by parents, education advocates and community groups gathered through online map making portals and during multiple public hearings. The public is encouraged to review the latest proposal and provide additional feedback via the website or through email at ChicagoERSBCommittee@senatedem.ilga.gov.

The map consists of 20 proposed districts, including seven majority Black districts, six majority Latino districts, five majority White districts and two coalition districts.

“This new map better reflects the diversity of Chicago’s unique neighborhoods, and we thank the many parents, educators and community members whose guidance helped shape these district boundaries,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford, Chair of the Special Committee on the Chicago Elected Representative School Board. “Our communities deserve a school board that reflects their shared values, and a learning experience that will help our children thrive.”

School board districts must be consistent with the Illinois Voting Rights Act, which ensures districts are crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power.

Currently appointed by the mayor, the Chicago Board of Education is scheduled to become fully-elected over the course of a two-year hybrid period. Under existing law, ten members of the Chicago Board of Education will be elected by voters during the November 2024 election, and ten members and the board president will be appointed by the mayor. Elected members will serve four-year terms, while appointed members, including the appointed board president, will serve two-year terms. The board will become fully-elected after the November 2026 general election.

While questions have been raised about a number of these provisions, lawmakers are still studying these procedural election issues and the best ways to ensure the 2024 election provides equitable representation for all of Chicago’s communities. Additional public feedback and suggestions on these matters can be submitted via email at ChicagoERSBCommittee@senatedem.ilga.gov.

“We are dedicated to putting in place a community-led education system that better serves our families and students” said Sen. Robert Martwick, Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on the Chicago Elected Representative School Board and sponsor of the legislation creating an elected school board in Chicago. “That is achieved when we have local representation, promoting the best interests of the people they were elected to serve.”

“When our schools succeed, our city succeeds,” said Sen. Omar Aquino, Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on the Chicago Elected Representative School Board. “Working together, we are ushering in a brighter future for our children and our communities.”

* Demographic breakdown…

…Adding…Chalkbeat…

The new map has seven majority Black districts, six where Latinos make up 50% or more of the population, and five where the population is 50% or more white. Two districts — one representing Rogers Park on the North Side and the other representing Portage Park and Old Irving Park on the North West side — are plurality white, with Latinos making up the second-largest population. […]

Sen. Robert Martwick, a Democrat representing the North West side of Chicago and west suburbs, said that figuring out how to create 10 districts for the 2024 elections and 20 districts for the 2026 elections has been difficult for legislators. […]

State Rep. Ann Williams, who represents parts of the city’s North Side and chairs a special task force of House Democrats working on drawing school board districts, said the transition from 10 districts to 20 is “still under discussion,” but the goal is to vote on a map during next week’s veto session.

“At some point we have to get a map so that people can start looking at the districts and prepare to run for office,” Williams said.

26 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign update

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Open thread

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

6 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Asylum seekers face their first Chicago winter. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Freezing temperatures, uncertainty and concern among migrants living outside Chicago police stations: ‘How are we going to survive winter here?’
∙ NYT: In Chicago, a Neighborhood of Immigrants Is Conflicted About More Arrivals

* NBC Photographer George Mycyk yesterday…

The wind is strong and loud outside this police station at 51st and Wentworth on south side of Chicago as migrants try to stay warm inside their tents.
I did not see any warming buses. pic.twitter.com/D5tjUllHba

— George Mycyk NBC 🇺🇦 (@GeorgeMycykNBC) October 31, 2023

* Isabel’s top picks…

* NBC | J.B. Pritzker-backed group sends $250,000 to Virginia Democrats: Think Big America, a nonprofit group affiliated with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, is donating $250,000 to Virginia Democrats with a week to go before state legislative elections that could decide the future of abortion policy in the state. The group is sending $25,000 apiece to four Democrats running in battleground Senate districts: state Dels. Danica Roem and Schuyler Van Valkenburg, former prosecutor Russet Perry and entrepreneur Joel Griffin.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker’s science project: Aggressive bid for federal semiconductor center part of larger plan to make state hi-tech hub: With Chicago in the running for the $11 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-university network of researchers and scientists are optimistic Illinois’ advances in engineering and manufacturing — especially quantum — will help them seal the deal. So is Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

* What’s your favorite made in Illinois product?…

It's here! The @IMA_Today released our brand new 2023 Made in Illinois poster today showcasing some of the amazing & innovative products made in the Land of Lincoln! Special thanks to @Nicor_Gas & @IMECillinois
which are tremendous partners who make manufacturers successful. pic.twitter.com/QbJfFY6VaA

— Mark Denzler (@IllinoisMfgAssc) October 30, 2023

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Center Square | Coalition lobbying for ‘assisted suicide’ law in Illinois getting pushback: A member of the coalition, Suzie Flack, lost her son to cancer and would like to see a gentle dying option. “I am hoping to carry on and tell his story and to reach people so they can understand that an option like this does provide a lot of comfort to terminally ill individuals,” Flack said.

* Forest Park Review | Former Obama campaign staffer running for Danny Davis’ seat: Kouri Marshall never held a political office before — but he’s still running on his record. That record including work for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and work for former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin (1st) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Marshall also touted his work in the nonprofit sector. He serves as a director of state and local public policy for the Chamber of Progress, a trade organization for technology companies.

* Madison-St. Clair Record | Everytown for Gun Safety and others file amicus briefs supporting gun liability law, claiming ‘bad actors in the gun industry … enable gun violence’: The National Shooting Sports Foundation petitioned for the injunction, seeking protection under the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Raveendran of Chicago, who in March filed a brief backing the ban on what the state defines as assault weapons, filed the current brief.

* Sun-Times | Rahm or Ed? Expert quizzed on who had most clout in preview of possible Burke trial testimony: Elmhurst University political science professor Constance Mixon agreed during a sneak preview of her potential trial testimony that Burke’s role as the Council’s finance chairman put him in a “powerful and influential position.” She said he’s often been described as the Council “dean,” and she noted he has a “deep history” of the city’s legislative body.

* Tribune | Aldermen support March referendum on real estate transfer tax, sending ordinance to full City Council: In a 32-16 vote, the rules committee approved the revamped “Bring Chicago Home” measure, which offers a tiered tax rate on all property sales. Advocates say it would generate much-needed revenue for the city’s homeless population, but opponents in the real estate industry have warned that it would put a further damper on an already-fragile market for offices, retail and apartment buildings and drive up costs for tenants.

* Reuters | US Supreme Court won’t wade into Chicago parking meter fight: The justices rejected the drivers’ appeal of an April ruling from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld Chicago’s long term contract with Chicago Parking Meters LLC. The drivers have argued the contract and its restrictions on the city gave Chicago Parking Meters an unlawful monopoly in violation of U.S. antitrust law.

* Daily Herald | Rising pension costs to test Schaumburg’s ability to keep tax levy pledge: Since 2009, Schaumburg officials have kept a promise not to increase the property tax levy they established that year because of the economic recession. But they will soon face a dilemma when it comes to that pledge, due to rising police and firefighter pension costs that within a few years could consume the entire levy.

* WBEZ | The Calumet Water Reclamation Plant preps for the future as the climate continues to change: “I’ve been in the wastewater industry for 24 years now. And it seems like more and more events we’re having,” said Dan Mikso, one of the engineers at the plant. Despite more frequent floods, plant officials said they are ready for the challenge.

* CoStar | Jury Finds Brokers Conspired To Inflate Commissions, Awards Missouri Home Sellers Almost $1.8 Billion: The Chicago-based NAR has contended that the system provides an efficient marketplace accessible to all consumers. But the complaints, including the one for the lawsuit resolved in Kansas City, alleged that the practice is anticompetitive because it requires NAR-member agents to list all properties on regional multiple listing services, with broker commissions agreed to before a home is listed for sale.

* Pioneer Press | Sean Loughran sworn in as new Glencoe Public Safety Director: On Oct. 7, the Hamas terrorist group attacked Israel killing hundreds and taking many others hostage. By the end of that day, local organizers scheduled a large rally supporting Israel at Glencoe’s North Shore Congregation Israel, headlined by Governor J.B. Pritzker. The rally required large law enforcement presence and might have been a challenge for the head of any agency no matter how long they had been on the job. In the case of Glencoe Public Safety Director Sean Loughran, he had been in his new role for less than a week.

* Sun-Times | Pot shop company files suit to blunt planned dispensary at former Rainforest Cafe, limit proximity of minority-owned stores: The lawsuit filed Monday in Cook County by GRI Holdings alleges the proposed Consume Cannabis dispensary at 605 N. Clark St. violates state law by opening within 1,500 feet of its Green Rose Dispensary.

* Block Club | Aunt Martha’s Gets Unexpected $9 Million From MacKenzie Scott: Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness, a nonprofit that serves over 105,000 children and adults each year at 30 locations in Illinois, received a $9 million award through the Chicago Community Trust from Scott’s Yield Giving charity fund, the organization announced Tuesday.

19 Comments

Live coverage

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

Comments Off

Deputy mayor on migrant base camp ETA: ‘Ideally, it would be in the next month’

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago’s Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights Beatriz Ponce De León was at the City Club of Chicago yesterday…

Q: What is the ETA on the base camps? It’s clearly really cold out today, for example.

BPDL: Yeah, well, we have several locations that we’re interested in, they need to be assessed, we need to work with the aldermanic offices of those wards. And, you know, things are taking a little longer than we expected in terms of doing the land assessments and also engaging with community about about those sites.

Q: I mean, are you thinking a couple of weeks, a month? Because I’m wondering if they aren’t set up, what’s the backup plan?

BPDL: Ideally, it would be in the next month. And the backup plan has been that we will continue to look for larger spaces where we can open shelters more quickly.

“Ideally.” In other words, that’s the best case scenario.

* The city rolled out this plan way back on September 7, which is coming up on two months ago…

Nearly 1,600 asylum-seekers would be moved out of Chicago police stations “before the weather begins to shift and change” and into “winterized base camps” equipped with massive tents, under a plan unveiled Thursday by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Um, the weather has already shifted.

* Also remember that the city signed a contract on September 12…

Chicago has taken the first concrete step to deliver on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s controversial plan to get more than 2,000 migrants off the floors of police stations and O’Hare and Midway airports and into giant tent cities he prefers to call “winterized base camps” before temperatures plummet.

Piggybacking onto an existing state procurement, the city has signed a $29.3 million contract with GardaWorld Federal Services LLC for “migrant temporary housing.”

“The purpose of this Purchase Order is to allow the City to purchase from the State Contract temporary housing solutions and related services … to provide critical services to asylum seekers,” according to the contract, signed Sept. 12.

Kafkaesque farce.

26 Comments

Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

As Chicago’s downtown business district struggles under a post-pandemic malaise, President Joe Biden announced a slate of federal resources this week for developers and cities to speed up commercial-to-residential conversions.

The White House initiative will open up funding from the Department of Transportation to finance residential development near public transit and facilitate transit agencies’ ability to transfer their properties to local governments or developers of affordable housing, according to a release. The administration’s guidance also encourages cities, states and developers to tap into billions of dollars of existing federal grants from the Transportation Department and the Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The president’s push to save ailing downtown business districts comes at a crucial time for Chicago. The city’s office vacancy rate hit another all-time high in early October, climbing up to 23.7%, according to data from brokerage CBRE. Public transit is feeling the pain, too. While Chicago Transit Authority ridership increased this year, the rates are nowhere near 2019 numbers since workers aren’t returning to the office five days a week, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said this month. Whether Mayor Brandon Johnson will prioritize transforming downtown districts is still unclear. With the fate of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s LaSalle Street initiative up in the air, federal help could fill in funding gaps left by the city.

* Good point. Be careful…

Happy Halloween!

Remember the biggest threat to kids this day isn't razor blades in candy, weed edibles or clowns in sewers. It's cars pic.twitter.com/BosBsIwyqu

— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) October 31, 2023

* ISP…

The Illinois State Police (ISP) today provided an update on the condition of Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green and the investigation into his shooting. On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 10:47 p.m., ISP Trooper Chapman-Green stopped 37-year-old Cristobal Santana from Chicago in the 1600 block of Toronto Road in Springfield. During the traffic stop, the suspect fired at least 10 gunshots hitting Trooper Chapman-Green several times, and struck him repeatedly causing facial fractures, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed. The suspect fled the scene, but was taken into custody at 1:58 a.m. on October 25, 2023. Trooper Chapman-Green remains hospitalized. The suspect was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the apprehension and remains in the hospital.

“By the Grace of God, Trooper Chapman-Green survived this brutal attack,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Police officers across the state take an oath to protect the lives of Illinois citizens and too often that means facing diabolical, hateful, vicious evil that no innocent human being should ever have to face. We live in a free country, but there is no freedom without the law, there is no law without law enforcement, and there is no law enforcement without brave souls like Trooper Chapman-Green and those standing here with me today willing to do this noble, but dangerous work.”

On Friday, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office filed two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm to a Police Officer, one count of Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, and one count Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon against Santana.

ISP continues to investigate this shooting and will work with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office to provide more information as it becomes available.

Video of the traffic stop can be found here: https://youtu.be/LSvCYf0_WkM. Video of the news conference will be available on the Illinois State Police Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ILStatePolice

* Illinois House Women’s Caucus…

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the recent gun violence that has again struck our state and our nation. How many people must die before addressing the deadly intersection between domestic violence and firearms? This fatal combination was again painfully evident in the recent murder of Adrianna Lopez, who was shot and killed allegedly by an abusive ex-boyfriend who also shot an Illinois State Trooper. These incidents are grim reminders that the ripple effects of trauma echo far beyond the intimate relationship - affecting children who live with and witness it, and the family members, and law enforcement who respond to it.

“The tragic events that unfolded in Maine are all too common, and we cannot relent in our mission to get weapons of war off our streets and out of our communities. Though details are still emerging, early news reports have suggested the suspect, Robert Card may have a history of domestic violence. A recent study showed that in more than two-thirds of mass shootings, the perpetrator either killed family or intimate partners or the shooter had a history of domestic violence.

“While we have made progress in recent years to combat the gun violence epidemic, our work is far from over. We have one more week of the veto session upcoming, and collectively, we urge the General Assembly to pass additional legislation like Karina’s Bill to combat gun violence and get guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.”

* From yesterday…

Today, Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, and Senator Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, joined President Biden at the White House for an event on Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence following the President’s Executive Order regarding AI.

This marks the second time that Rep. Gong-Gershowitz and Senator Edly-Allen have attended events at the White House to discuss their work protecting constituents from emerging digital threats stemming from applications of artificial intelligence.

Last session, Rep. Gong-Gershowitz and Sen. Edly-Allen worked together to pass groundbreaking legislation to combat deepfake pornography, which falsely depicts individuals in sexually-explicit acts without their consent. They are now taking steps in Illinois to mirror President Biden’s federal strategy to address the risks that AI poses to individual safety and security as well as its potential as a tool for malicious disinformation.

“I applaud the sense of urgency displayed by President Biden regarding artificial intelligence and thank him for his much-needed leadership on this critical issue,” said Gong-Gershowitz. “AI is a rapidly-developing tool that fundamentally impacts every sector of our society, including individual safety and civil rights. We must ensure that appropriate legal protections and standards are in place to properly address the complex set of dangers and opportunities that AI introduces in order to effectively safeguard individual consumers and the public against the inherent risks to safety, security and truth it can pose.”

President Biden’s Executive Order can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/

“We need to balance rapidly progressing technology that maximizes artificial intelligence possibilities, while also protecting against the potential harms it can cause,” Edly-Allen said. “We are starting to see how unrestricted technology can do harm without practical safeguards in place. I applaud the Biden administration for taking urgent action to work toward ending the exploitation, humiliation and harassment that AI has caused.”

Also attending…

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, a Democrat from Bridgeview, visited the White House on Monday for President Joe Biden’s signing ceremony of an executive order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. Rashid is a member of a multi-state legislative working group on AI and the co-chair of Illinois’ AI task force.

I asked Rep. Rashid’s spokesperson if that Illinois task force has ever met, but he hasn’t responded.

* Isabel’s roundup…

WICS | New SAFE-T-Act enhances protection for domestic violence victims in Illinois:

* Sun-Times | Gov. Pritzker, Illinois universities make aggressive bid for federal semiconductor hub: With Chicago in the running for the $11 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-university network of researchers and scientists are optimistic Illinois’ advances in engineering and manufacturing — and especially quantum research — will help them seal the deal. So is Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

* Rockford Register Star | Stellantis, UAW agreement pledges new life for Belvidere plant. Here’s what’s next: United Auto Workers Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen is trying not to get overly excited about a tentative agreement reached with Stellantis that could mean thousands of jobs, a new battery plant, parts distribution center and a vehicle to produce at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. Frantzen said he got the call from national union officials on Saturday about the tentative deal during a local membership meeting with about 100 workers filling the Belvidere UAW hall. A raucous cheer erupted when he shared the news.

* WGN | ‘Skip the Line’ service issues draw ire of Illinois seniors: ‘Very frustrating’: Until this year, she could drive to her hometown of Naperville Secretary of State facility and take the test. But now, an appointment is required. McQuaid said she tried unsuccessfully for weeks to get an appointment to no avail. Locations that still accept walk-in services, in Bridgeview and Evanston, are simply too far, she added. The next best option is Aurora but as McQuaid explained, the drive is out of her comfort zone. “Very frustrating,” McQuaid said. On the WGN Midday news Monday, Giannoulias said they’ve come a long way but hearing of Helen’s plight, more is needed.

* WCIA | Family of State Trooper shot in Springfield shares update on recovery: Chapman-Green’s mother, Kris, said that her son is going through occupational therapy and physical therapy. He is also able to hold conversations while staying awake. Chapman-Green was shot in both legs while performing a traffic stop on Toronto Road in Springfield Tuesday night. He was also beaten with the gun, suffering a brain bleed and skull fracture.

* Tribune | A first Chicago snow for many of the migrants sleeping outside: ‘The cold passes through everything’: Anticipating colder temperatures Monday night, the city released a statement Sunday: “To protect new arrivals and unhoused Chicagoans from falling temperatures, the City is collaborating with external partners, volunteers and mutual aid groups to provide blankets, coats and other much-needed items. Warming buses will be provided by the CTA at the landing location and 16 police district locations.” But Annie Gomberg, who leads volunteer efforts at the police station in Austin,said she didn’t know about any effort by the city to provide blankets, jackets or outerwear. She said 16 buses was not enough. And many migrants who she interacts with tell her they are hesitant to get on another bus, after riding a bus for hours to get to Chicago.

* Tribune | Chicago police officer under investigation for striking 8th grader while off duty: The Cook County state’s attorney’s office began looking into Officer Craig Lancaster’s off-duty conduct after a surveillance recording emerged showing him hitting a 14-year-old student near his throat as the boy walked into school. The video does not show the teen interacting with Lancaster before the physical contact or doing anything obvious to provoke it.

* Shaw Local | Police training facility in Cary to open next week: The McHenry County Regional Training Center will have three training areas: two classrooms and a tactical training room. One classroom will fit 100 students, and a second 40-person classroom will be in the lower level, which used to be the Village Board room. The MAT room will be for defensive tactics and scenario-based training. Tactical training usually covers handcuffing and handling people resisting arrest or being violent.

* Sun-Times | Evanston teen Natalie Raanan back in Chicago after being held hostage by Hamas: The north suburban mother and daughter were the first hostages released from among at least 200 people Israeli military leaders have said were held by Hamas. The two were in Israel to visit Judith Raanan’s mother and Natalie’s grandmother to celebrate her 85th birthday and Simchat Torah, the Jewish holiday marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings. They were staying in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

* Tribune | ‘Priscilla’ review: The starry road to Lonely Street — and the Presley movie we needed: Coppola, who has known more first- and second-hand celebrity than the average contemporary filmmaker, seems especially well-attuned to Priscilla’s experiences, and to slowly (sometimes suddenly) dawning realizations of what her life has become. Now and then “Priscilla” settles for standard-issue biopic shorthand, as when Elvis shuts down his woman’s desire to work with: “It’s either me or career, baby.” But in this context, without the usual emphasis or underlining, the line feels honest, and authentic, even in the midst of the dream of desire, love and eventual departure we’re watching.

* The Street | Tesla hits 5-month low, down 20% from Q3 earnings, amid fading EV demand: Tesla’s key supply chain partner, Panasonic Holdings, warned yesterday that its battery production facilities are running well below capacity amid a glut in global supplies and a pullback in demand. Panasonic Holdings posted a third quarter loss, and lowered its full-year profit outlook, citing muted sales of Tesla’s high-end Model S and Model X cars even amid the multi-level price cuts put in place in order to stoke demand and maintain market share.

* Semafor | An up to $1 billion fine may end the scandal that has captivated Wall Street: Authorities have spent more than four years investigating whether Morgan Stanley improperly tipped off favored hedge-fund clients to big blocks of stock coming on the market. The bank fired several employees and pulled back from the block trading business, losing market share to rivals.

* WTTW | McCormick Place Says It Will Do Better by Birds After 1,000 Killed in Mass Casualty Event. Conservationists Want Proof: Prince was joined by Judy Pollock and Edward Warden, presidents of Chicago Bird Alliance and Chicago Ornithological Society, respectively, who urged the board to take action in the wake of a mass casualty event that occurred at the beginning of October, in which 1,000 birds fatally collided with McCormick’s lakefront Lakeside Center during a wave of migration activity.

* 21st Show | Halloween legends at the University of Illinois: Today is Halloween… a holiday with a lot of history, going back centuries, even millenia. Nowadays, of course, it’s basically a celebration of all things scary and spooky. We talked about some of the spooky stories, myths and legends that make the rounds at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

* First and Pen | Justin Fields Deserves Better: To suggest that Fields needs to learn from Bagent, who is the Bears’ version of Brock Purdy, is ridiculous. It’s something Score midday host Dan Bernstein called a “back-stabbing whisper campaign” by the Bears. “The story is this stuff, the whispers, the, ‘Hey, it’d be nice if Justin could do that.’ They’re telling you who they would prefer to coach,” said Bernstein. “They would much rather have somebody (Bagent) who could run their stuff, get the ball out, make their reads rather than have to figure out how to best use the talents of a unicorn (in Fields).”

7 Comments

Happy Halloween, Part 2

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Happy Halloween! Here are some more snaps from the Capitol’s Trick-or-Treat event this past Friday…

* I was really blown away with some of the transformations…

* It’s not every day I have an excuse to visit Stratton’s 6th floor…

I was really impressed by all the hard work that people put into the event. I’m looking forward to next year!

2 Comments

Winter is coming and the city is still scrambling

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune reporter…

Migrant mom and son walking to the Greyhound station from the 12th District.

After two weeks in Chicago they decided to return to Texas.

“There’s nothing here for us,” she said. pic.twitter.com/mcLjAT21l7

— Laura N. Rodríguez Presa (@LAURA_N_ROD) October 31, 2023

* From her story…

Thousands of migrants sleeping at police stations woke up to freezing cold conditions this Halloween morning as city officials, volunteers and faith-based organizations scrambled to find warmth for a population, mostly from Venezuela, that has never experienced cold before.

Temperatures plummeted overnight to a low of 30 degrees at O’Hare International Airport, said the National Weather Service, and safety networks stepped in to react to emergencies brought on by the cold. Temperatures were expected to range between 36 and 37 degrees with light snow flurries for the next 24 hours, weather officials said. […]

Dr. Scott Dresden, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician, said he wasn’t sure how the thousands of migrants that have arrived since last August would influence the numbers of people he treats in emergency departments over the next months.

“This is certainly a unique winter with a larger population who are without housing than we are used to,” he said.

* Fox Chicago…

On Monday, Chicagoans – who know what to expect – bundled up amid chilly temperatures, but many new arrivals will be experiencing the cold for the very first time.

The CTA is now providing warming buses during certain hours at the migrant bus landing zone near Clinton and Vernon Park Place and 16 police districts across the city, but long-term solutions are desperately needed.

“We have minors in police stations and in the streets, this is an emergency response,” said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez who represents the 25th Ward.

Monday morning, the Committee on Housing and Real Estate, which Ald. Sigcho-Lopez chairs, signed off on the city’s plan to purchase land at the corner of 115th and Halsted.

The former Jewel parking lot could become a migrant base camp built by GardaWorld Federal Services, but South Side community members are pushing back.

* ABC 7…

Also on Monday, downtown Alderman Brendan Reilly sent a letter to constituents, claiming the city was looking to convert the Hotel Chicago in River North into a migrant shelter, something the mayor’s office denies, and the hotel said it had no information about.

Ald. Reilly also complained that the mayor was acting without legal authority, despite a gubernatorial disaster declaration that sets aside provisions of the procurement and joint purchasing codes…

To aid with emergency purchases necessary for response and other emergency powers as authorized by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code and the Illinois Governmental Joint Purchasing Act that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the disaster are suspended to the extent they are not required by federal law.

We saw that same sort of rhetoric during the COVID emergency.

* I checked out this encampment near the 17th District police station in the Albany Park neighborhood not long ago. Tents are set up on both sides of an adjacent street, with some, like these, right next to houses…

A 6-year-old migrant boy was hit by a car outside of a police station tent camp.

"They need a place inside." https://t.co/m6B9sMboFc pic.twitter.com/Ap5bLKsRjM

— Block Club Chicago (@BlockClubCHI) October 31, 2023

* At the end of a Sun-Times story about how the city says it can’t risk using reserve funds to pay for migrants is this tidbit…

Once the Council approves the mayor’s budget, attention will turn to the urgent search for additional revenue — a task Johnson has punted to a subcommittee led by freshman Ald. William Hall (6th).

[Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman] expects the options presented by that subcommittee to include broadening the sales tax umbrella to cover a host of professional services favored by the wealthy and business interests.

The idea has been talked about for decades, only to hit a dead-end in Springfield.

But, Guzman said: “We’re in a place now where people are more open to this idea. We’ve seen the dramatic shift in how people purchase things. It’s shifted more now toward services over goods. … Sometimes, it’s all about timing. … I look at it as a way of sharing the burden more equitably.”

A tax on high-end services might feel good, but I seriously doubt it’ll make much of a dent. Looks like the city is again passing the buck. Then again, maybe proponents have other numbers. I’d love to see them.

…Adding… All very valid points…

This City Hall plan is legit more bonkers than any Lightfoot proposal. You’re going to pass a BRAND NEW sales tax in Illinois House during election year AND Illinois Dept of Revenue is going to stand up new tax in time for City to get $ in 2024?
No way. https://t.co/kqXT943I7C pic.twitter.com/xERS1Dnt2K

— Chicago Bars (@chicagobars) October 31, 2023

25 Comments

Illinois community colleges see enrollment growth

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Telegraph…

Community colleges in Illinois are seeing their largest year-over-year enrollment growth in nearly 15 years this spring.

Figures released this week by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) showed Spring 2023 enrollment increased by 7.2 percent from the previous spring. according to the board’s Spring 2023 Enrollment Report.

The enrollment, however, was 11.8 percent below the statewide figures in 2019. Illinois community colleges in 2019 listed 283,146 students. The Spring 2022 figure was 233,041; this year the enrollment is 249,836.

The report lists 3,992 Spring 2023 students at Lewis and Clark Community College, up 9.2 percent from 3,656 last spring but down 36.6 percent from the 6,301 students enrolled in Spring 2019.

* From the ICCB report…

Significant findings from the ICCB Fall 2023 Community College Opening Enrollment Report include:

• Fall 2023 headcount enrollments (+5.7 percent) and Full-time Equivalents (FTE) enrollments (+5.2 percent) both increased significantly from the previous year.

• Thirty-six community colleges experienced an increase in headcount enrollment from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023, while twelve community colleges had a decrease.

• Instructional areas often dependent on in-person instruction increased headcount enrollments in Career and Technical Education (+10.4 percent) and Vocational Skills Training (+6.3%) in Fall 2023 compared to the previous year. Student enrollment in Transfer programs also had an uptick compared to the previous year with an increase of 1.8 percent.

• Adult Education, which is also mostly dependent on in-person instruction, increased headcount by 20.8 percent from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023. Adult Education serves a significant number of at-risk students, and the pandemic exacerbated issues for that population.

• For Dual Credit, which allows academically prepared high school students to simultaneously earn credits that count toward a high school diploma and a college degree, headcount enrollments increased 8.4 percent in Fall 2023 compared to Fall 2022.

• While the number of distance education students decreased in Fall 2023 as compared to the previous year, it remains a prevalent and flexible form of course delivery with 42.3 percent of students enrolling in at least one online course in the current Fall as compared to Fall 2019 (pre-pandemic) at 24.3 percent.

* WRSP…

Richland Community College is reporting an almost 7% increase in Fall 2023 enrollment as the Illinois Community College Board sees the second largest fall-to-fall enrollment increase in 30 years.

This fall, Illinois community colleges saw a 5.7% increase in headcount between Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 enrollment – which is the second largest fall-to-fall enrollment growth in the last 30 years. Only the Fall 2008 to Fall 2009 increase of 7.4 percent during the Great Recession was higher.

The increase in enrollment is reflected at Richland – where the fall-to-fall growth from 2022 to 2023 is 6.7%.

This growth can be credited to a number of initiatives with community/government partners in the past year – including the Illinois Works’ Pre-Apprenticeship Program, the Earn While You Learn EMT program (a partnership with Abbott EMS), the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program, and many others.

* WAND…

The fiscal year 2024 budget includes a seven percent increase in operating funds or $19.4 million more for community colleges than the previous year—the highest increase in two decades. It also includes a $100 million increase in the Monetary Award Program (MAP) that when combined with the federal Pell grant, provides working class families with an opportunity for a free community college education. […]

Statewide enrollment data shows 36 community colleges experienced an increase in headcount enrollment from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023, while just 12 community colleges had a decrease.

* WSIU looks at more…

But, it was a different story across the institutions serving southern Illinois.

Kaskaskia and Southeastern Illinois Colleges saw modest increases in enrollment, but John A. Logan, Rend Lake and Shawnee Colleges all reported fewer students from Fall 2022.

It was also a mixed bag for the Illinois Eastern Community College system with a major increase at Frontier Community College and a small one at Olney Central, but there were enrollment declines at Lincoln Trail and Wabash Valley.

8 Comments

Question of the day

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background on the Local Journalism Task Force…

The Local Journalism Task Force is established to: (1) conduct a comprehensive, nonbinding study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Illinois; and (2) review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of communities, the ratio of residents to media outlets, the history of local news in Illinois, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, and public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions.

* The Illinois Legislative Correspondents’ Association recently updated its members about ideas emerging from the task force…

Tax credits, for example, could be used a few different ways: for small businesses to advertise with local media, residents who subscribe to local media or media companies that hire and retain local journalists. (A tax exemption could also serve a similar purpose for the latter.) Another idea: advertising set-asides, in which governments could be required to spend a percentage of advertising dollars in local news/media outlets.

One problem I see right off the bat is that a whole lot of local news media outlets are owned by gigantic, debt-heavy corporations like Gannett. They suck money out of local communities to pay off debt and pad executive pay.

But, yes, local news is most definitely dying. There are exceptions, but a quick look at just about any local news website, particularly outside the Chicago area, confirms that obvious fact.

* The Question: What role, if any, should the state of Illinois play in preventing the collapse of local news media outlets? Explain.

47 Comments

Coverage roundup: Illinois’ latest school report card shows some pandemic recovery

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* NBC Chicago…

The Illinois State Board of Education on Monday released the 2023 Illinois Report Card, offering a new look at how schools and districts across the state are performing. […]

This year’s report noted schools across the state showed “strong progress in students’ recovery from the pandemic – with increased proficiency rates and the highest graduation rate in 13 years.”

“Gains for Black students, who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, led the significant improvement in many indicators,” the board wrote in a release. […]

One of the largest success stories comes as the state saw record-breaking high school graduation rates, with 87.6% of students graduating, a number the report says was driven largely by gains for Black and Hispanic students.

The report also found teacher retention levels had reached “an all-time high,” exceeding 90% for the 2022-23 school year, though it highlights “severe teacher shortages still exist.”

* WBEZ…

A continued area of concern is chronic absenteeism — students who missed 10 days of school or more last year. State officials say this is an important figure because studies show a high correlation between performance and time in school.

Chronic absenteeism has shot up dramatically since before the pandemic in 2019. It affects 28.3% of students, up from 17.5% in 2019. State officials say this is “alarmingly high” and that “more work must be done to ensure full academic and social-emotional recovery from the pandemic.” […]

The state superintendent stressed that gaps in proficiency are because Black students historically attend schools with fewer resources.

“We educate Black students disproportionately in underfunded school districts with more teacher vacancies, higher teacher and principal turnover, higher chronic absenteeism,” he said.

* Tribune…

Statewide, both English and math proficiency rates increased but are still less than what they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proficiency rates can show the percentage of students who have hit the given target, according to the ISBE, but growth is the way to show “progress toward and even past the target.” On average, students grew more in the last school year than before the pandemic, according to the report card.

Black students had the greatest accelerated rate of growth in both English and math compared to the 2018-2019 school year, but their growth and proficiency rates overall are still behind other students. […]

There were more English language learners and Hispanic, Asian and multiracial students enrolled in the 2022-2023 school year than the school year before, suggesting more diversity in Illinois schools, according to the report card.

* Daily Herald…

The annual measure of academic performance shows a second straight year of gains after two years of slippage due to COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. But while student proficiency levels inched up, they remain below pre-pandemic levels. […]

This year’s results show a 16% change statewide year-over-year in English language arts from 29.9% to 34.6%, meaning an additional 39,000 students have mastered grade-level standards. Black students posted the largest gain with a 33% change in proficiency rates, according to report card data. […]

Schools across the suburbs attributed academic gains to a variety of measures, such as increased instructional coaching, reading or math interventionists, school improvement plans and an increased focus on social-emotional supports. In Round Lake Community Unit District 116, post-pandemic daily tutoring has continued with an evening session available for students. The district also launched a summer activity bus program offering art, science, math and Project Lead the Way learning opportunities for students during the summer months.

* More…

* Capitol News Illinois | Latest state school report card shows proficiency gains, persistent gaps on racial lines: Robin Steans, president of the education advocacy group Advance Illinois, agreed that the report was positive overall, but said it also contains some cautionary information, especially regarding racial achievement gaps and attendance rates. “I think there is some legitimately encouraging news in the new state report card,” she said in a separate interview. “I think there’s also a lot of information that reminds us we’ve a lot of work to do still.”

* Chalkbeat | Illinois student test scores closer to pre-pandemic proficiency levels, but absenteeism remains high: The latest report card offers some good news for Illinois districts that are still working to help students recover from pandemic-related disruptions. To address learning gaps, they have focused on hiring more staff, creating after-school programs, and hosting summer learning opportunities. Some of those efforts were funded with the $7 billion in federal COVID relief funding the state received. However, the state’s public schools will have to figure out how to continue these programs as federal relief funding will expire at the end of September 2024.

* Journal Courier | Jacksonville’s school report card sees mixed results: Jacksonville High School was listed as a targeted school, which means one or more student groups is performing at or below the level of the “all students” group in the lowest performing 5% of schools. Achievement is lacking in the areas of children with disabilities and low income, the report card said.

* WAND | Decatur Public Schools breaks down 2023 Illinois Report Card results: Attendance rate hits a 3-year high = 86.1%, up from 83.4% last year and 76.5% in 2021. Chronic absenteeism rate hits a 3-year low = 50.5%, down from 56.0% last year and 58.9% in 2021.

* Shaw Local | State report cards give central Kane schools good grades: All central Kane County districts – St. Charles, Batavia, Geneva and Kaneland – were listed as either exemplary, which means they performed in the top 10% of schools statewide, or commendable, which means they are not in the top 10%, but none of those schools have underperforming student groups.

* WTVO | Illinois Report Card: Rockford schools show improvements, but have work to do: The 2023 snapshot of academic progress shows the Rockford Public School District with a 69% graduation rate, versus the state average of 87.6%. Students showed a 32% proficiency in science (state average: 51%), 24% passing 8th-grade Algebra, and 75% of 9th-grade students “on track.”[…] The state’s results also showed nearly 50% chronic absenteeism across the 44 Rockford schools, below the state average of 28.3%. But, that’s lower than the 60.8% reported during the 2022 Covid recovery era.

* Shaw Local | Local schools get mixed grades on Illinois School Report Card: Rock Falls boasts an Exemplary school, Sterling’s all Commendable, two Dixon schools’ ratings point to need for improvement support.

1 Comment

Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Perhaps the most Halloween press release ever. Click here to see the map…

The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control (ARC) has released an interactive map of locations where bats who tested positive for rabies were found in Cook County. So far this year, nine rabid bats have been found. The Halloween-themed map is designed to raise awareness about rabies prevention.

“Rabies is a completely preventable disease and is always fatal to unvaccinated pets,” said ARC Administrator Dr. Mamadou Diakhate, DVM. “Ensuring your dogs and cats are current on rabies and other vaccinations is critical to their health and yours.”

According to Dr. Diakhate, a significant number of these bats were found inside people’s homes, and pets who primarily stay indoors still have the potential to be exposed to rabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 60 to 70 dogs and 250 cats contract rabies each year.

* Neil Steinberg reminded us today of a column he wrote a few years ago about how candy corn is made in Chicago…

For years the Internet has echoed with derision of candy corn. And not mild criticism. Full-throated condemnation.

BuzzFeed’s 2013 list of “19 Things That Taste Better Than Candy Corn,” included chalk, urinal cakes and earwax.

“Deodorant-flavored earwax nuggets,” Deadspin raged in 2014. “Wee little warhead-shaped misery pellets.”

Then things really heated up. CandyStore.com crunched a decade’s worth of sales figures and announced that candy corn is the most popular Halloween candy in six states, including Michigan, inspiring one Detroit columnist to lash out at his readers.

“You’re all gross,” sneered the Detroit Free Press’ Brian Manzullo.

People just gotta hate something, I suppose.

* And the first candy corn was made in Belleville…

Illinois is a “corn” state but most people don’t know that candy corn started in Belleville! Today, @IMA_Today member @FerraraCandyJar owns @BrachsCandy which makes 88 percent of the candy corn market producing enough to circle the earth 5x each year! Happy #NationalCandyCornDay! pic.twitter.com/4tpqprXLkA

— Mark Denzler (@IllinoisMfgAssc) October 31, 2023

* I did not know this…

Did you know Jerry created music for the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone TV series with Merl Saunders and other members of the @GratefulDead?

Listen to it here and get ready for Halloween 🎃https://t.co/TTGMR8rsR9

— Jerry Garcia (@jerrygarcia) October 31, 2023

Spooky.

* Something else I did not know…

If you’re out trick-or-treating this Halloween, you might notice some homes displaying a teal pumpkin outside their front door — and it’s more than just a decoration.

According to FARE — Food Allergy and Research Education — teal-colored pumpkins are part of a national effort called the “Teal Pumpkin Project” to make Halloween more safe for children with food allergies.

“Placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep signals that, in addition to candy, you offer non-food trinkets and treats that are safe for all trick or treaters,” FARE’s website states.

According to FARE, one in 13 children has a potentially life-threatening food allergy, and many others are impacted by food intolerances or other digestive conditions.

* Things weren’t always so enlightened. Here’s Tom Emery…

Today, Halloween is a mixture of revelry, as both trick-or-treaters and adults are in costume with happy pumpkins and ghoulish skeletons for décor. A century ago, the holiday was more sinister – and violent.

Halloweens of the late 1800s and early 1900s were dominated by “pranks” that were closer to felonies and misdemeanors. Vandalism ruled the night as property was damaged and people were beaten. […]

A 1908 notice in Alton, Illinois, advised that “all persons caught or known to have committed any depredations will be prosecuted … special officers [will] be sworn in … to watch boys and others disposed to injure private property.” […]

In the Macoupin County town of Gillespie, Illinois, in 1926, the local paper reported that four boys were arrested and taken to the police magistrate “for shooting Halloween stunts out of season.”

Then again…

A Beach Park man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly bringing an AR-15 loaded with “penetrator rounds” to a Halloween party in Antioch.

Around 10 p.m., Antioch police responded to a loud noise complaint about a party in the 200 block of Ida Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they obsevered a crowd of more than 300 people.

Antioch police called in some backup and began dispersing the crowd, which took more than four hours to completely clear the area.

* The first time I remember hating my parents was when they forced me to wear a heavy winter coat over my costume…

It's a spooky Halloween weather forecast: snow. This will be the 9th time in 139 years that Chicago has seen snow on Halloween. https://t.co/AVT8D4Z7Dm

— WBBM Newsradio (@WBBMNewsradio) October 31, 2023

I eventually got over it.

* It’s really difficult to say “Support local media” when local media continues falling for this nonsense…

It can't be a "new threat" when local news has been breathlessly reporting it every Halloween for at least twenty years.

No one is handing out edibles to your kids for trick-or-treating because they're all out of Starburst. https://t.co/JO1CRXWYg2

— Mike Pries (@MikePTraffic) October 30, 2023

NPR interviewed Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, about the persistent myths of tainted candy…

Best has been dispelling this myth for years and telling people they shouldn’t worry about people tampering with treats. But even with no evidence of this happening, the urban legend still persists every Halloween.

“We’ve stopped believing in ghosts and goblins, but we believe in criminals,” said Best. “Ghosts and goblins are just kind of silly. But having a criminal, having Michael Myers running around your town, that’s a scary possibility.”

* So cute…

“Hello? 911? Hello? Yes, I’m calling to report a burglary in progress….yes….in progress…stealing Halloween decorations off porches next door…yes the suspect is still on scene.” pic.twitter.com/PA215WKFdu

— Chicago Bars (@chicagobars) October 31, 2023

* Transitioning…

Santa’s work never stops!
Elves are busy today putting together Christkindlmarket on this snowy Halloween in Chicago pic.twitter.com/4o9WwYEAt4

— Leigh Giangreco (@LeighGiangreco) October 31, 2023

Do you have evening plans?

* Related…

Block Club Chicago

* Tribune: After winning $50,000 prize for its Halloween display, West Chicago family sets sights on even bigger haunt

31 Comments

Open thread

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Happy Halloween! What’s going on in your part of Illinois today?…

16 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Ford reaches a deal with the UAW. Tribune…

-The Stellantis tentative agreement with the UAW includes bringing thousands of workers back to the Belvidere Assembly Plant near Rockford.

* Related stories…

∙ Bloomberg: Tesla and Anti-Union Elon Musk Make Enticing Targets for UAW’s Next Push
∙ Detroit Free Press: GM, UAW reach tentative deal after weeks of contract negotiations
∙ Fox 32: Illinois stands to gain thousands of jobs and more in General Motors-UAW tentative deal

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | How the near absolute power Edward Burke wielded absolutely paved the way for his alleged corruption: That power came from “scratch my back” Chicago politics. Burke’s clout emanated from the sheer force of his personality, the favors he did for other City Council members and the intimidation he wielded over his colleagues.

* Tribune | Plainfield man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on 6-year-old Muslim boy: Carlson read each charge Czuba faces, including four murder charges, two aggravated battery charges and two hate crime charges. If convicted, Czuba could face life in prison, Carlson said.

* Happy Halloween!…

“When we are together, darling, every night is Halloween.” Gomez Addams

We are wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween weekend. pic.twitter.com/NJCT3J6QOi

— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@SpeakerWelchIL) October 29, 2023

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Sun-Times | Plan for 2nd migrant tent camp at donated Jewel, parking lot clears City Council committee: “The City will soon begin performing work on the site to confirm the underlying infrastructure’s viability before initiating construction. The City will notify residents as to the outcome of this final assessment and will share further operations details prior to placing any individuals into the facilities. At the conclusion of the base camp mission, the City intends to transfer ownership of the site to a local community development corporation and fully provide support for the development of affordable housing and retail space on the site.”

* Tribune | Aldermen delay vote on Johnson paid leave plan amid pushback: It’s likely some version of the paid leave legislation will eventually pass. It’s a key plank of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pro-worker agenda and supporters Monday said they had the votes necessary to pass it. The delay signaled substantive disagreement over the ordinance, however. It presents a test of whether Johnson, with the help of progressive allies, can live up to the reputation he’s tried to burnish as the city’s unifier.

* WTTW | With Few Granted, Time Is Fleeting for People in Illinois Prisons Hoping for Medical Release: ‘My Hope Is Waning’: Under the law, people in prison can petition the Illinois Prisoner Review Board for early release if they are terminally ill and likely to die within the next eighteen months; have become disabled since being incarcerated; or are likely to become disabled within the next six months. During a WTTW News visit to the facility two hours west of Chicago, Dyches shared letters from both his doctor at UI Health and the Dixon Correctional Center doctor attesting to his terminal illness. Despite that documentation, the board still denied him.

* Capitol News Illinois | Latest state school report card shows proficiency gains, persistent gaps on racial lines: Although statewide average proficiency rates remained below pre-pandemic levels, the results showed improvement over the previous year across all demographic categories.

* CBS Chicago | Hate crimes tripled in Illinois between 2017 and 2022: “Going back to 2017, the number of hate incidents that were reported in Illinois was about 85,” said Special Agent Brian Etchell, who oversees hate crimes out of the Chicago FBI field office. “In five years in 2022, the number of incidents has tripled.”

* Daily Herald | Rosemont hotel no longer hosting pro-Palestinian event after receiving threats: “The decision by the Hyatt Regency O’Hare to yield to pressure and threats to cancel our event is not an isolated incident,” Irshaid said in a written statement. “We have witnessed similar cancellations of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American events in locations like Orlando, (Florida) and Washington, D.C. Regrettably, by giving in to these threats, these establishments are inadvertently legitimizing and giving credibility to voices of bigotry, violence, and exclusion. In doing so, they contribute to the fueling of Islamophobia, anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian racism.”

* Business Journal | Illinois Nurses Association, State of Illinois agree on new four-year contract: The new contract was ratiﬁed with a 97% vote. Tori Dameron, RN, president of the Illinois Nurses Association, registered nurse at Quincy Veterans Home, and co-chief negotiator, expressed her enthusiasm for this achievement, saying, “The power of organizing is clear. These nurses stood together to support each other’s needs and demands and it paid off. Never before have these nurses seen a contract this strong and a local union so powerful. We were able to come together through rallies, petitions, and other organizing across the state to win the biggest wage increase that state nurses have ever seen.

* Streets Blog Chicago | State legislation introduced by Kam Buckner and supported by North Lakefront reps urges CDOT and IDOT to “transform DLSD”: The synopsis adds that the bill’s goal is to get the departments “to incorporate safe and efficient multimodal transportation throughout DuSable Lake Shore Drive for pedestrians, cyclists, public transit users, and drivers, to emphasize green urban mobility.” This would “ensure that any proposed changes are considered as part of a comprehensive plan for efficient traffic management and movement of people, including during special events and weather challenges.” The synopsis concludes that the aim is to have “more green space and recreational opportunities for Chicagoans, as well as visitors, and to repurpose, where possible, existing infrastructure as part of expanded recreational opportunities.”

* WTTW | Chicago’s Top Cop Vows to Rein in Police Overtime Spending as 2023 Bill Tops $200M: After spending $126.5 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department during the first six months of 2023, the department remains on track to end the year with a total police overtime bill of more than $250 million. The City Council only budgeted $100 million for police overtime in 2023.

* Sun-Times | Northwestern pledges $100 million for Evanston if it gets OK for Ryan Field concerts: Monday’s meeting went late into the night, with most testimony opposing Northwestern. Speakers were given one and a half minutes each to reprise arguments made at length before the city’s Land Use Commission. The advisory panel held three meetings on Ryan Field and on Oct. 11 voted 7-2 against Northwestern’s request for concerts.

* Bloomberg | ADM Reviews Plant-Based Protein Growth Plan on Weak Demand for Fake Meat: “The plant-based protein market has been experiencing de-stocking and consumer demand softness over the course of the year,” Chief Executive Officer Juan Luciano said on a conference call with investors, adding adverse conditions would likely persist into 2024.

21 Comments

Live coverage

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here or here to follow breaking news.

Comments Off

Mayor Johnson’s reaction to North Lawndale mass shooting mentions weekend incidents in other states

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here and here if you need it. Mayor Brandon Johnson yesterday…

“Early this morning, there was an alleged act of retaliation at a Halloween party in the North Lawndale community that left 15 people injured. Initial reports indicate that the suspect was asked to leave the gathering before returning and senselessly opening fire.

Chicago police responded to the shooting and with the assistance of those in attendance, quickly apprehended the offender.

As with all acts of gun violence in our city, my heart is with the victims, families and communities impacted. The Community Safety Coordination Center will ensure that victims and survivors have the resources they need to address trauma, and my office will continue to mobilize the full force of government in working with City agencies, community-based partners, faith leaders and others to reduce the number of guns on Chicago streets and bring safety to our neighborhoods and families.

Sadly, mass casualty events like these are not exclusive to the City of Chicago. This Halloween weekend alone, 11 people were killed in 12 mass shootings across the country from Tampa to Texarkana. This comes on the heels of last week’s devastating mass shooting in Maine.

The proliferation of high-powered artillery is tearing the fabric of our nation, and as long as I am mayor, Chicago will continue to lead the call for common sense gun reform to bring safety to all communities.”

* The full list is here, but Moms Demand Action has a partial roundup…

• On Sunday morning, a mass shooting in Ybor City in Tampa, Florida left two people, including a 14-year-old, dead, and 16 wounded, 15 from gunshot wounds.
• At a Halloween party in the North Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago, 15 people were shot and wounded when gunfire erupted inside the party. Four more people were shot and wounded in Chicago in a drive-by shooting outside a party.
• In Texarkana, Texas, three people were killed and three others were wounded in a shooting at a party in the back room of a business a little after 9 p.m. on Saturday.
• In northeast Indianapolis, 10 people between the ages of 16 and 21 years old were wounded, one of them fatally, at a large party.
• Four people — two of them students — were shot Sunday near Georgia State University’s Atlanta campus. Another GSU student was shot at the same location in December 2022.
• In Las Cruces, New Mexico – seven people were wounded in a shooting at a party near Hillrise Elementary School.
• A shooting at a Halloween party at a bar in Dodge, Kansas left two men shot and killed and another two wounded.

Your thoughts?

26 Comments

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s | Stellantis battery plant gives Pritzker momentum to land more EV deals: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has landed deals for two EV battery plants in as many months. Stellantis plans build a battery plant as well as an EV assembly facility in Belvidere that are expected to employ more than 3,000 workers. Chinese battery maker Gotion Hi-Tech plans a battery plant in Manteno with 2,600 jobs. He isn’t done. Pritzker says the state is in talks with other companies, and he hopes to land more deals, though he declined to name the prospects. … “Every survey has Illinois in the bottom five for business climates,” says John Boyd Jr., a principal with The Boyd Company, a site-selection consultant in Boca Raton, Fla. “But success breeds success. These announcements will translate into suppliers and others having incentive to consider locating in Illinois.”

* WAND | Illinois community colleges see second largest fall-to-fall enrollment increase in 30 years: Overall, the Illinois Community College System’s opening Fall 2023 enrollments had an increase in both headcount (+5.7 percent) and Full-time Equivalent (FTE) (+5.2 percent) from the previous year. The Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 increase of 5.7 percent is the second largest Fall-to-Fall enrollment growth in the last 30 years. Only the Fall 2008 to Fall 2009 increase of 7.4 percent during the Great Recession was higher.

* Capitol News Illinois | Latest state school report card shows proficiency gains, persistent gaps on racial lines: A significant gap still existed between Black and white students in English language arts proficiency. But on a percentage basis, Black students saw the biggest gains in proficiency rates, rising from 12.1 percent to 16.1 percent – a 33-percent increase.

* Daily Herald | ‘The good news is we’re recovering’: Illinois School Report Card shows second year of post-pandemic gains: This year’s results show a 16% change statewide year-over-year in English language arts from 29.9% to 34.6%, meaning an additional 39,000 students have mastered grade-level standards. Black students posted the largest gain with a 33% change in proficiency rates, according to report card data.

* Block Club | Key City Committee OKs Purchase Of Far South Side Lot To Become Migrant Camp: Alderpeople on the Committee on Housing and Real Estate approved the city buying a 6.5-acre site for $1 from New Albertons LLC during a Monday morning meeting. The deal needs the full City Council’s approval, and it will go before council during its Wednesday meeting.

* Tribune | Judge rules ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s comments on Jewish lawyers can be heard by jury: “Given the heightened sense of alarm” after the Hamas attacks, “any member of the jury sympathetic toward what the Jewish people have endured might find Mr. Burke’s comments to be particularly distasteful” and unfairly hold it against him, argued Burke attorney Kimberly Rhum at an Oct. 16 pretrial hearing.

* AP | Illinois man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son: His attorney George Lenard entered the not guilty plea after the judge read the 8-count indictment. Czuba did not speak, looking down at the podium with his hands folded behind his back as he stood before the judge in the court in Joliet.

* Sun-Times | No testimony from Highland Park massacre suspect at dad’s trial next week: “I don’t see any reason why he should physically be here to do that,” said Strickland, who will be presiding over the bench trial. The father’s lawyer, George Gomez, said he had subpoenaed the son’s attorneys to call him as a witness. One of the son’s attorneys, Gregory Ticsay, said he still hasn’t received the subpoena.

* Daily Journal | Homeless advocates learn from Rockford: A new light shone on how Kankakee County may be able to assist those who are homeless on a recent trip to Rockford. Several area officials traveled some 150 miles to the northern Illinois city to observe and learn how that community has served its homeless population.

* NBC Chicago | Housekeepers walk out of downtown Chicago hotel, demanding fair pet policy: Workers are demanding that management revert to the previous policy regarding guests with pets, the labor union, UNITE HERE Local 1, said in a statement. The policy would alert housekeepers at the beginning on their shift if there is a pet staying in the room they are assigned to clean.

* Crain’s | Cook County residential property taxes in northern suburbs shoot up by 15.7%: Homeowners are now taking on the lion’s share of the tax burden countywide this year, with 81% of Cook County property owners paying higher taxes this year. Overall taxes in Cook County rose 5.4%, or $909 million, with residents taking on $599 million, or two-thirds, of that increase.

* Daily Herald | How Metra is working harder to stop suicides on tracks: Interventions to save lives and prevent death by suicide on railway tracks increased substantially in 2023, Metra reports. Through mid-October, police and train crews trained in crisis management reached 85 people in time to help prevent a tragedy.

* Press Release | Rep. Rashid Invited to White House by President to Discuss Artificial Intelligence: “I am honored to have received an invitation to the White House to discuss the future and regulation of AI,” said Rashid. “In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, our duty as lawmakers is clear: we must prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens by mitigating the risks that AI presents. The public is counting on us to enact safeguards that ensure their security, privacy, and fundamental rights in this rapidly evolving landscape.”

* ABC | Biden speaks on AI development: Pres. Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discuss the administration’s commitment to the safe and secure development of AI.

* Tribune | Snow showers, chilly temperatures expected for Halloween; experts say to ‘bundle up’ while trick-or-treating: Periods of snow showers will start mainly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, with new snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible, according to the National Weather Service in Romeoville. If it snows Tuesday, it would be the ninth Halloween with snow recorded in Chicago and the eighth in Rockford.

* The Atlantic | The Secretive Industry Devouring the U.S. Economy: That may not have been such a big deal when private equity was a niche industry. Today, however, it’s anything but. In 2000, private-equity firms managed about 4 percent of total U.S. corporate equity. By 2021, that number was closer to 20 percent. In other words, private equity has been growing nearly five times faster than the U.S. economy as a whole.

2 Comments

Question of the day

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

State Senator Robert Martwick, State Representative Kam Buckner and Educators for Excellence joined together at a press conference Tuesday to announce a measure that will permit compensation for members of the Chicago Elected School Board.

“Permitting compensation for board members as a way to remove barriers will enable the board to more accurately represent the diverse communities of Chicago,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “We want the board to truly represent the students and families they serve and to include voices from every community.”

As written, the law that created the Chicago Elected School Board process permits reimbursement to board members for expenses incurred while performing their duties. It currently does not allow compensation for members, which may create barriers for individuals who cannot afford to take the time away from working to serve on the board.

Martwick’s measure does not set a monetary value for compensation, but removes the prohibition of compensation to elected school board members.

“Individuals shouldn’t have to choose between serving on their local school board and providing for their families,” Martwick said. “By allowing for the possibility of compensation, we remove barriers and provide opportunities to future members.”

The bill is here.

* Sun-Times editorial…

Yes, board members are giving up their time to serve. Yes, lower-income and working-class people bear a heavier burden than those who are wealthier when they choose to do so, perhaps having to forgo hourly wages or persuade a stubborn boss to give them time off for board meetings and other activities.

To make up for that, it seems entirely fair to provide a modest stipend for members and/or reimbursement for board-related expenses. If it helps pave the way for more parents and community members to run for board seats, so be it.

But a modest stipend really ought to be the extent of any compensation, and sensible limits should be clearly spelled out in the proposal introduced last week by state Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, as first reported by Chalkbeat Chicago.

We’re also not swayed by the argument that pay is necessary so teachers can run for board seats. Under the 2021 law, teachers and other Chicago Public Schools employees are rightly prohibited from sitting on the elected board. If they decide to quit their full-time jobs in order to run, taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to foot the bill with anything approaching a full-time salary.

Illinois law currently does not permit school board members to be paid a salary or stipend, though it does allow for reimbursement of expenses.

* The Question: Pay them an adequate salary, give them a “modest stipend” or don’t pay them anything except expense reminbursements? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

online polls

32 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

The answer you’ve all been waiting for

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Last Friday, Senate and House staff held their annual Capitol Trick-or-Treat. I was asked to judge best trick-or-treat area by the Senate President’s office.

I was told the Senate President’s office had stepped up its game this year. They didn’t take top prize… But they do win best candy. Take a look at those full-sized candy bars.

* And the big winner is….

The Senate Democrat Policy & Budget Department! (The alien stuck on the roomba cinched it.)

Sorry for the dark and blurry pictures. There was a princess behind me and I didn’t want to keep her waiting.

On to honorary mentions…

Over in the Stratton C wing, the Senate Democratic Member/Legislative Assistant Office “killed it.”

Finally, House Republican Leadership office cracked me up…

* On to my unofficial costume contest…

Congratulations to Donald and Eleanore Mitchell!

And some honorary mentions…

4 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - A look back and ahead

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

ISBE says chronic absenteeism ‘remains alarmingly high’

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ChalkBeat Chicago on the Illinois State Board of Education’s latest school report card…

About 28% of students were chronically absent from school last year. That’s a slight decrease — about a 1.5 percentage point — from the 2021-22 school year when about 29.8% of students were chronically absent.

Students are considered chronically absent when they miss about 18 days, or 10% of school, with or without a valid excuse. Student mental health days also count towards chronic absenteeism.

When students miss a significant amount of school it can impact their academic performance.

The report card shows high rates of absenteeism among Black, Native American, and Latino students. But Black, Latino, Asian American, and white students also saw improvement in school attendance compared in 2021-22. During last school year, chronic absenteeism rates were high among students from low-income families, students experiencing homelessness, and students with Individualized Education Programs.

The Illinois data is similar to what schools are seeing across the country. Attendance Works — a nonprofit organization that looks into attendance rates across the country — has seen early data from 11 states that found about 27.9% of students were chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year — a 2.2% decrease in chronic absenteeism rates compared with the 2021-22 school year.

* Chart…

* From the ISBE…

Chronic absenteeism, which skyrocketed during the pandemic, improved modestly in the 2022-23 school year, dropping from 29.8% to 28.3%. Black students, who saw the greatest increase in chronic absenteeism during the pandemic due to having disproportionately less access to in-person instruction, saw the greatest year-over-year improvement. While headed in the right direction, chronic absenteeism remains alarmingly high.

ISBE has dedicated $12 million to Regional Offices of Education to combat absenteeism and more than $100 million for Community Partnership Grants that are designed to improve mental health, regional Social-Emotional Learning Hubs, and programming to support trauma-responsive practices in schools.

More here and here.

Also, one thing that might help is if ISBE fixes its bungling of the after-school program.

3 Comments

Bailey continues touting Trump ties while Bost struggles to keep up

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Donald Trump, Jr. spoke at two Illinois locations on Friday. First up, Marni Pyke’s report from McHenry County…

[Donald Trump, Jr.] castigated “the weak Republicans” in Washington who vote with the Democrats. “Because they understand it’s easy to actually be a Republican in Washington … as long as (Democrats) know you will fold when it matters,” he added.

Also, “you want to fix Illinois? Fix our state party,” said former GOP state Sen. Darren Bailey, who warmed the crowd.

Bailey said he “couldn’t understand” why he lost to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the 2022 election.

After a lot of “thinking and praying,” the downstate farmer said the answer was, “We have got to get rid of weak-kneed Republicans.”

Yeah, that’s the solution. Make the party smaller. But, hey, that’d work to his advantage in his congressional primary.

Pic…

* Rick Pearson at the Tribune…

Attending the event was last year’s unsuccessful GOP governor candidate, former state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia. Bailey is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro in southern Illinois and is seeking the former president’s endorsement, which he got late in last year’s GOP governor primary.

Bailey met with the elder Trump on Thursday at Mar-a-Lago, flew with Trump Jr.’s team to the event and was hosting him at a fundraiser in Effingham on Friday night.

Bailey said he expects to get the former president’s endorsement and told reporters that if the elder Trump is convicted on any of the charges he faces, “my opinion (of the former president) won’t change.”

Asked about three former Trump lawyers who agreed to plea deals in Georgia over charges of trying to subvert the election results, Bailey said, “What I see in government, anybody can be bought and paid for and opinions changed based on power and position.”

From Mar-a-Lago…

* Some local Effingham coverage…

The event featured State Representatives Chris Miller, Blaine Wilhour and Adam Niemerg, but the event was held on behalf of recent Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey. Bailey is seeking the Republican nomination for the 12th District Congressional seat now held by Mike Bost. Bailey was critical of Bost, saying he is a career politician who wants to preserve the status quo in Washington. Bailey said, “We need to send a powerful message to career politicians that the only ticket they will be a part of is a ticket home.”

* Pic from the Effingham event…

Caption?

* Mike Bost is trying to keep up…

Proud to announce that I am a delegate for @realDonaldTrump to the 2024 Republican National Convention! I am looking forward to Making America Great Again with President Trump! pic.twitter.com/fZMHOZoWFf

— Mike Bost (@BostForCongress) October 30, 2023

The Bailey campaign, however, says Bailey is also a Trump delegate.

31 Comments

Please, stop doing this

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* On Friday, the City of Chicago revealed that just 16 buses carrying asylum-seekers arrived in Chicago during the previous seven days.

Just a few weeks ago, we were told to expect as many as 25 buses per day.

* So, maybe news outlets like ABC 7 might wanna turn down the hype machine just a wee bit…

Residents in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood have been making their concerns known on Sunday as the city discusses a plan to create a migrant shelter there. […]

The people at today’s protest said [Ald. Ronnie Mosley] should focus on projects like that instead of this shelter.

The extent of the “protest”…

* Back to the story…

“The fact is, in the Roseland community, there’s crime, violence, gangs. It’s through the roof here,” said community activist Patrick Gibbons. “And, we need to protect our own people before we take care of people from the outside.”

NBC 5 also quoted “community activist Patrick Gibbons”…

“If you can’t take care of your own, then we don’t deserve to be a sanctuary city for outsiders,” said Gibbons.

“Sanctuary city” hokum debunked here.

* Thanks to an alert commenter, it turns out that the Patrick Gibbons in the above story appears to be the same guy who, until fairly recently, was running for 31st Ward Republican committeeperson on Chicago’s Northwest Side - far, far away from the Jewels in Morgan Park/Roseland.

I mean, this Patrick Gibbons?…

From our commenter…

Would be nice if the Chicago news media would simply check the google machine once in a while to see if the “community activists” they are quoting are from the actual community they are covering.

* And even without the Gibbons stuff, a tiny handful of disgruntled people milling about a giant parking lot is hardly a compelling teevee visual. From NBC 5’s wide-shot…

Zoom in…

Hilarious.

* More from Isabel…

Chalkbeat | Amid Chicago’s migrant influx, one school is trying to help newcomer students navigate trauma:

* WTTW | Vote Set on Plan to Transform Former Jewel, Parking Lot on Far South Side Into Migrant Shelter: Mayor Brandon Johnson will ask a key City Council panel to purchase the now-vacant Jewel and surrounding parking lot near 115th and Halsted streets and transform it into a shelter for some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport.

* Block Club | Ukrainian Village Neighbors Suing Mayor, City Officials To Block Migrant Shelter: In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, James Cole and Danielle Roberts argue the city has illegally skirted zoning and building permit regulations to convert a privately owned building at 526 N. Western Ave. into a temporary shelter for asylum seekers.

* Block Club | More Than 3,400 Migrants Have Been Flown Into Chicago Since June, City Data Shows: Most people were flown in from San Antonio, Texas, with a few hundred others coming from Houston, New York City and Denver. The majority of the flights have come to O’Hare, bringing in 2,705 people, according to city data.

* WTTW | With Temperatures Set to Dip Below Freezing, Warming Buses Set to Shelter Migrants: Warming buses will be sent to 16 Chicago police stations to shelter some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport, as cold weather settled over the city in earnest and temperatures dipped below freezing, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said late Sunday.

* The Hill | Tensions rise between new and established migrants: The tension is especially felt in Democratic strongholds such as New York and Chicago, where community leaders and elected officials have spent decades organizing their constituents with limited success. “Mixed-status families, people who have lived here for 10, 20, 25, 30 years, who have been working, paying taxes, sending money back to Mexico, abiding by the laws, laying low — probably being better citizens than most Americans — are frustrated,” said Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D).

18 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 - Ford to invest $430 million in local factories *** Stellantis coverage roundup

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

Illinois is a big winner in the new contract between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis, which will reopen its Belvidere plant to make trucks and build a new battery factory.

The tentative deal reached Saturday could result in more than 3,000 jobs, more than doubling the company’s recent headcount, with an investment of billions of dollars, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says.

“Eight months ago, Stellantis idled Belvidere Assembly Plant, putting 1,200 of our members on the street. From the strength of our strike, we are bringing back those jobs and more,” UAW Vice President Rich Boyer said in a statement. “Stellantis is reopening the plant, and the company will also be adding over a thousand jobs at a new battery plant in Belvidere.” […]

Stellantis marks the second major EV-battery win for the governor, who won re-election last year and will host the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next year. Last month, Chinese battery maker Gotion Hi-Tech said it will build a $2 billion battery-assembly plant in Manteno that will eventually employ 2,600 workers. The deal included $536 million in tax incentives and more in property tax concessions from local governments.

* Tribune…

The tentative agreement, announced Saturday by the UAW, includes a 25% increase in base wages, cost of living adjustments and the right to strike over plant closures, mirroring a similar deal struck by Ford on Wednesday. But the Stellantis agreement also would restart the 60-year-old Belvidere Assembly Plant, which has been idled since February.

As part of the deal, the Belvidere plant will get both an unnamed vehicle and an adjacent battery manufacturing facility, bringing thousands of jobs back to the small river city near Rockford. The state recently optioned a large parcel of land next to the 280-acre Belvidere plant to accommodate manufacturing expansion. […]

Sources said the Belvidere plant may become home to a light truck, a battery plant and a parts distribution center. The new vehicle to be built at Belvidere would likely be electric, sources said. […]

The plant’s future became a pivotal negotiating point during the six-week UAW strike, with everything from a “megahub” parts distribution center to a battery plant on the table. The agreement seems to incorporate all of the above, an outcome that was met with enthusiasm in Belvidere.

* UAW VP Rich Boyer says the plant will produce a new midsize truck and will run two shifts, according to Motor1.com…

In an official statement published on YouTube, the UAW’s Vice President Rich Boyer shared the good news: “UAW family, it is… my great honor to announce that we have saved Belvidere. Again, we have saved Belvidere… We have won a new vehicle at Belvidere…it will be a midsize truck, and we will have two shifts.”

* WIFR…

UAW Vice President Rich Boyer announced Saturday that the Belvidere assembly plant is going to bring back over a thousand jobs upon its return, and bring with it a new electric vehicle battery plant what will more than double that amount.

“We got everyone that lost their job in Belvidere put back on temporary layoff meaning they’ll get sub-pay and health care until their job is back in Belvidere,” says Boyer says. “Under our contract members from Belvidere who have been scattered across this country will have the right to return back home to Belvidere.”

While the agreement goes through ratifications, Stellantis workers are expected to return to work. State Senator Steve Stadelman says he hopes things can keep moving forward in an optimistic fashion.

“I think at the end of the day, workers want to be paid what they think they deserve, and we allow negotiations, and efforts to make sure that working men and women get what they want. Hopefully that’s the end result of this long process,” says Stadelman. “Hopefully everything comes together, hopefully the contract leads to the reopening of the Belvidere plant and good news for the area. But it’s something that the state of Illinois and I have been personally involved in making sure that we get everybody on the same page to providing these incentives and encouraging Stellantis to use that plan.”

* ABC7…

President Joe Biden called the deal a “ground-breaking contract” that offers “record raises, more paid leave, greater retirement security, and more rights and respect at work.”

* Gov. Pritzker…

With the announcement that United Auto Workers and Stellantis have reached a tentative agreement that’s good for workers and good for the state of Illinois, auto workers can get back on the job with higher wages, expanded benefits, and new and valuable opportunities in a growing industry.

For over two years, I have been laser-focused on working toward a permanent solution in Belvidere that retains and grows good-paying jobs, while supporting economic development in the surrounding region. Since the plant was idled in February, we’ve provided support to furloughed auto workers, while concurrently leading a collaborative effort with local officials and legislators to craft aggressive incentives that position Illinois at the forefront of the EV manufacturing industry. Thanks to that collaboration and the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act, we are on the verge of significantly advancing that effort.

I’ve been in constant contact with auto workers, Stellantis executives, UAW representatives, and the White House as the bargaining has unfolded, and I am delighted we are now on the verge of getting this done. I look forward to finalizing the state’s economic package and not only reopening the shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere to manufacture electric vehicles, but also co-locating a new battery production facility. This will be thousands of jobs, billions in investment, and a huge win for Illinois.

* US Rep. Bill Foster…

“The tentative contract agreement announced by the UAW and Stellantis today, that promises a strong future for the Belvidere Assembly Plant in both vehicle and battery production, is an important milestone along a path involving months of hard work by negotiators on both sides, as well as state, local, and federal officials.

“It is a cause for celebration for Belvidere and the generations of workers who made their careers at the Assembly Plant. Under the Governor’s leadership, powerful state incentives have been assembled to help close the deal; local officials made sure that the site would accommodate Stellantis’ ambitious future plans for Belvidere; and the federal incentives for EV and battery production from Congress and the Biden Administration will continue to be essential in ensuring the economic future of the Assembly Plant for generations to come.

“This milestone would not have been achieved without the incredible support for the Belvidere Plant from UAW workers throughout the country — the truest expression of the meaning of the words “union solidarity.”

“This is a big win for Illinois, and means that the iconic Belvidere Assembly Plant should remain the beating heart of the entire community, and that the workers who’ve been displaced since the idling can finally return to work with a bright future.”

* US Sen. Dick Durbin…

From my very first meeting, and every one since, the President of UAW, Shawn Fain, made it clear that the future of Belvidere was a critical bargaining issue. He kept his word. Today’s announcement creates a path for every Belvidere worker to return and be part of a new EV launch.

“I spoke to Governor Pritzker this afternoon. There is a need for federal infrastructure investment on the site and I pledged our delegation’s total cooperation in that effort.

* US Sen. Tammy Duckworth…

Today’s tentative agreement announcement is not only great for Stellantis workers across the country — a historic deal to help to bolster UAW members and their families — but it’s especially impactful for Belvidere. This tentative agreement shows the power of companies and labor coming together to empower workers and provide them a fair and living wage while ensuring modern businesses can still compete, grow profits and succeed. This reinforces what we all know: that the future of manufacturing doesn’t mean fewer workers, the future of manufacturing depends on the power of our workforce, and I’m so proud to join the brave UAW workers in celebrating this historic tentative agreement today.

* Meanwhile, General Motors has reached an agreement as well…

General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have reached a tentative contract agreement that could end a six-week-old strike against Detroit automakers, two people briefed on the deal said Monday.

The agreement follows the pattern set with Ford last week and Jeep maker Stellantis over the weekend.

The deals will last four years and eight months and include 25% general pay raises and cost of living adjustments. Combined they bring the wage increase to over 30% over the life of the contract.

*** UPDATE *** Crain’s…

Ford will invest more than $400 million in its two Chicago-area factories as part of its proposed new contract with the United Auto Workers.

The company will invest $400 million at its Torrence Avenue factory where it makes Explorer SUVs, says Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551, which represents about 6,000 workers at the plant. Ford invested $900 million in the plant in 2015 during its last major upgrade.

Ford also says it will invest $30 million at its stamping plant in Chicago Heights, which employs about 1,200 workers, and supplies the Torrence Avenue assembly line.

23 Comments

Clean Air, Big Savings Central To Fleet Electrification Policy

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

North Illinois has some of the worst air quality in the country, in large part due to heavy freight traffic. Converting just 3 in 10 heavy-duty trucks in Illinois from gas to electric would save $5.8 BILLION in health care costs and over 600 lives.

Incentivizing fleet owners to go electric improves air quality, especially in heavy transit corridors. States like Nevada have incentivized the transition of school bus fleets from gas to electric, and Illinois can do the same to prevent children from breathing dirty air on their ride to school.

Illinois children deserve clean air now and a healthy future. Fortunately, there are bills in front of the Illinois State House and Senate right now that can help transition whole fleets of large trucks to electric – saving lives and saving money. Our legislators must support. More here.

Comments Off

Bold crime-reduction promise falls way short, so now what?

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Back in May 2017, Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson traveled to Springfield and promised a House committee that passing a criminal penalty enhancement bill he favored would drastically reduce gun crimes in his city.

The bill, SB 1722, was sponsored by then-Sen. Kwame Raoul, who would run successfully for attorney general the following year. It sought to establish higher minimum prison terms for people convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon if they’d previously been convicted of various crimes. The bill would also increase penalties for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Johnson was asked by committee member then-Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago, to estimate how many shootings, whether fatal or not, the legislature might prevent by passing the bill.

“I think over time, we will probably, we will cut it, cut it down in half, to half,” Johnson replied.

Asked if that might take three years, five years, 10 years, etc., Johnson said, “I don’t think it would take that long. So I would say we would probably start seeing a reduction in less than a year.”

Mitchell pressed further: “Okay. So in less than a year. But certainly, it’s safe to say in three years, if we pass this bill, we should see about a half reduction in the shootings and crime in Chicago?”

Johnson: “The gun violence. Correct.”

The logic behind this claim, Johnson explained, was that his data showed about 1,400 people were “driving most of the violence in Chicago.” And those 1,400 people were very likely to qualify for the enhanced penalties. Get them off the street for longer periods and crime would plummet.

The bill passed both chambers by wide margins and was supported by members who a few years later would lead the charge to reform the criminal justice system. It was one of the last times the General Assembly would pass a major penalty enhancement bill like that.

If you’re a sentient being, you know that Johnson’s confident prediction was wildly incorrect. Gun crimes did not plummet by 50 percent.

The law did lead to people being locked up longer, however. Research by the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, an entity created by the General Assembly, showed that sentences rose after the law took effect in 2018.

“The mean sentence length for Aggravated UUW sentences with qualifying predicate convictions increased by about 5 months and the likelihood of a sentence of at least six years was about 3.2 times higher” than before the law took effect, the 2021 study found. And the average sentence length for UUW/felon sentences with predicate convictions, “increased by about 4 months and the likelihood of a sentence of at least seven years was about 2.5 times higher than before the effective date.”

Also of note, the prison sentences for UUW offenses that weren’t specifically covered by the 2017 law Johnson backed “did not change,” SPAC reported.

In other words, while more people have clearly been sentenced to more time in prison because of this law (particularly Black men from Cook County), gun crimes have just as clearly not been reduced by half, or even close to half. While certain violent crimes fell for a couple of years after the law took effect in January 2018, they rose again during the pandemic. They’ve since started to wane but to nowhere near the levels that Johnson boldly promised.

I’m telling you this because the Senate is set to take up a bill (SB 853) that would extend several statutory sunset provisions, including those UUW changes made in 2017. The law had been set to expire in January 2024, but the proposal would extend that deadline for another year.

This could be an interesting debate and a political temperature check on the General Assembly. Illinois politicians have taken a lot of public heat over crime and the criminal justice reform bills they’ve passed. Allowing penalty enhancements to expire on repeat felony offenders, essentially letting them out of prison earlier than before, regardless of its impact on actual crime statistics would certainly be a bold move.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Patrick Joyce, a conservative Democrat from Kankakee County who is up for reelection next year. The amendment containing the language unanimously passed Joyce’s State Government Committee.

This is an omnibus bill containing several sunset extensions. If the bill doesn’t pass, a whole lot of laws could expire at the end of December because the General Assembly won’t return until January at the earliest.

But opponents are vowing a fight. We’ll see.

Discuss.

27 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Open thread

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* I hope you all had a relaxing weekend. What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

13 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: UAW-Stellantis agreement may include a new vehicle, EV battery facility for idled Belvidere plant. Crain’s…

* Related stories…

∙ Rockford Register Star: Illinois leaders sound off on UAW, Stellantis tentative agreement, impact on Belvidere
∙ WEHT: Gov. Pritzker issues statement on UAW contract deal
∙ Tribune: UAW-Stellantis tentative agreement to include a new vehicle, EV battery facility for idled Belvidere plant
∙ WIFR: Local leaders react to agreement that could reopen Belvidere’s Stellantis plant

* Isabel’s top picks…

Crain’s | Replacing lead pipes could save Illinois as much as $89 billion in health costs:

* Daily Herald | ‘Taking the side of peace’: Suburban Muslim and Jewish women try to find common ground here amid Middle East war: “Even the word for peace is so similar in our religions,” said Shazia Khan, co-leader of the Northwest suburban group that aims to build relationships between Muslim and Jewish women. “And that’s the point … that 99% of what we do and say is common, and it’s the 1% difference that has divided our societies and our political leaders have politicized and taken to extremes. But we’re trying to remind everybody of that 99%.”

* Thoughts on the Governor’s Halloween costume?

First Lady MK Pritzker and @GovPritzker take Halloween seriously pic.twitter.com/vbo9962DzZ

— Anne Caprara (@anacaprana) October 28, 2023

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* ABC Chicago | Morgan Park residents raise concerns over city’s plans for migrant shelter at vacant lot: But, the people living in Morgan Park say they want the city to provide critical resources for current residents, echoing the same message people have had in other neighborhoods that are being discussed as shelter options. “The people here in the community, they’re afraid they’re going to lose jobs. They’re afraid there won’t be shelter for the homeless. And so, this is a big thing for this community,” said Pastor Anthony Wilson. “I don’t oppose migrants or foreigners. I’m not against that, but the citizens of Chicago come first.”

* NBC Chicago | Roseland residents frustrated over proposal to build migrant shelter: At a meeting in September, 21st Ward Ald. Ronnie Mosely, which represents the community, listened to residents concerns about the proposed tent city. In a statement, the alderman expressed his disappointment over the plan and said his “ward will not tolerate the prioritization of a crisis over our needs and voices!”

* South Side Weekly | UN Specialist Warned City Council that Tent Camps Could Become Permanent: Emails obtained by the Weekly reveal that Committee Chair Andre Vasquez (40th Ward) discussed the camps with Joseph Ashmore, the IOM specialist, last month. In an email exchange following the discussion, Ashmore provided materials on mass shelters that explain topics such as preparedness, violence prevention, and community involvement. Ashmore emphasized that tent camps are “a last resort,” adding in his email to Vasquez, “They can be unsustainable, can last for much longer than expected, and are expensive to run and maintain.” Ashmore declined requests for an interview.

* Sun-Times | Danny Solis’ rise and fall, from promising activist to disgraced Chicago politician to FBI mole: The former 25th Ward alderperson sold his political soul for small favors, then tried to reclaim it by wearing a wire on two of the biggest powerhouses in the history of Illinois politics.

* Sun-Times | 15 shot at unsanctioned Halloween party in North Lawndale; suspect in custody: William Betancourt, commander of the Chicago Police Department’s Ogden District, told reporters the “senseless act of violence” occurred around 1 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road. Some of the roughly 100 partygoers told officers that the alleged shooter “was ejected from the party, and he came back a few minutes later with a gun and he began to shoot,” Betancourt said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.

* Cook County Record | Union League Club hit with class action over worker fingerprint scans: The Union League Club of Chicago has become one of the latest employers in Chicago targeted by a class action lawsuit under the state’s biometrics privacy law, because the Club allegedly improperly required workers to scan their fingerprints when punching in and out of work shifts. The club’s biometric timekeeping system “includes the dissemination of biometrics to each other and third parties, such as data storage

* Tribune | As Mayor Brandon Johnson invests in mental health, questions linger about funding for other public health crises: Johnson’s 2024 plan devotes relatively few additional city resources to keeping the systems that were created during the pandemic in place. Instead, the new mayor’s 2024 Department of Public Health proposal pledges to boost spending on mental health by more than $15 million.

* Tribune | North suburban homeowners seeing biggest property tax increase in 30 years, treasurer’s analysis finds: After months of delay, nearly 1.8 million property tax bills for Cook County home and business owners are landing in mailboxes this week, and many homeowners in the north and northwest suburbs are in for jarring news. A new analysis from county Treasurer Maria Pappas’ research team found the median residential tax bill there increased by 15.7%, according to the report, “the largest percentage increase in the last 30 years.”

* Tribune | Chicago-area environmental activists, experts seek to protect region’s trees after bur oak removal in Kane County: For years, Maher and a group of activists have tried to stop the removal of bur oak trees at a proposed industrial park development in Kane County near Geneva, contacting local elected officials, starting a petition and even climbing on machinery. They say almost all of the historic trees were cut down in the two weeks after Labor Day, calling it a “colossal failure” for the “Tree City USA” community.

* Block Club | Columbia College Adjunct Faculty Plan To Strike Monday: The decision comes as a result of the school administration’s plans to cut hundreds of class sections, which union leaders said would decrease adjunct faculty’s workload — and therefore pay — or increase class sizes without a corresponding pay increase. Diana Vallera, union president and a part-time faculty member in the photography department, said about 340 class sections would be eliminated.

* Fox 2 | George Harrison’s long-lasting impact on southern Illinois: Lead guitarist George Harrison ended up in southern Illinois for several days. Archives from BeatlesBible.com note that he flew into New York and caught a connecting flight to St. Louis before a roughly hour-and-a-half car ride to southern Illinois. At the time, Harrison’s sister, Louise, had recently moved to Benton, Illinois, with her husband, Gordon Caldwell. He was a passionate engineer and found opportunities within Illinois’ coal mining industry.

* AP | Biden administration encouraging conversion of empty offices to affordable housing: The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions

* WaPo | Faced with abortion bans, doctors beg hospitals for help with key decisions: Huntsberger said she called six administrators before she finally got ahold of someone, her patient awaiting help a few rooms away. When she asked whether she could terminate a pregnancy under Idaho’s new abortion ban - which allows doctors to perform an abortion only if they deem it “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman” - the OB/GYN said the decision was punted back to her.

* The Atlantic | What Financial Engineering Does to Hospitals: Watkins and other Riverton residents concluded that, instead of dividing specialties between the two hospitals and beefing up the ones remaining at each location, hospital managers were simply stripping away essential services from their community. The drive to Lander isn’t hard in the summer, Watkins told us, but in the winter, the roads are often closed. Many more patients needed to be transported out of the county altogether.