A group of University of Minnesota Law School instructors administered popular artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT four law school exams that it took alongside real students, and discovered that the bot was a C+ student on paper.
The ChatGPT bot is currently considered the world’s most advanced example of generative intelligence.
The instructors were curious about ways the bot might be used both to help students cheats and professors teach, so they decided to test its abilities.
The bot ended up with a ‘low but passing grade’ in Constitutional Law, Employee Benefits, Taxation, and Torts. All told, it wound up with a C+ average.
According to the paper, the bot came in 36th out of 40 students in Con Law, 18th out of 19 in Employee Benefits, 66th out of 67 in Tax, and dead-last out of 75 in Torts.
* A few days ago, I asked ChatGPT for some help with the blog…
Q: Summarize today’s news about Illinois government and politics.
A: I’m sorry, I don’t have the capability to provide you with today’s news as my training data only goes up to 2021 and my knowledge cut off date is 2021.
To which a friend replied in a group chat…
Oh my God, is ChatGPT Mike Madigan?!?
Heh.
* Yesterday, I thought I’d ask ChatGPT a question that might be able to provide us some humorous blog content…
What would Abraham Lincoln say to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker?
The answer was really weird. Here’s a brief excerpt…
The process of creating a podcast involves several steps:
1. Idea generation: The first step in creating a podcast is to come up with an idea for the show. This could be a topic you’re passionate about, a hobby you enjoy, or a problem you want to solve.
2. Research: Once you have an idea for your podcast, you’ll need to research the topic to ensure that it’s something people will be interested in listening to. This could involve looking at the competition, identifying gaps in the market, and talking to potential listeners.
Um, what?
* But I went back last night and that answer had mysteriously disappeared and was replaced by another one…
It is impossible to know exactly what Abraham Lincoln would say to JB Pritzker as they lived in different times and contexts. However, based on Lincoln’s speeches and writings, he likely would have emphasized the importance of preserving the Union, promoting equality and justice, and working for the betterment of all citizens.
Not great, but at least it’s on-topic.
* A suburban legislator I talked with uses ChatGPT to draft some letters and says it’s like having a world-class chef helping in the kitchen…
It’s the biggest technological innovation since at least the Internet. Will reorient almost every sector of the economy over the next 5-10 years. I don’t know what the policy implications are yet but I’m certain it will raise novel legislative issues we will need to deal with.
* Not long after that conversation, I asked ChatGPT to write a letter to an Illinois legislator’s constituent defending the state’s new assault weapons ban…
Dear Constituent,
I am writing to address your concerns about the recently passed assault weapons ban law in Illinois. I understand that this is a highly debated issue and one that many people feel strongly about. However, I firmly believe that this law is necessary for the safety and well-being of our community.
First and foremost, it is important to understand that this law does not prohibit the ownership of all firearms. It specifically targets the possession and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which have been used in numerous mass shootings in our country. By limiting access to these types of weapons, we can reduce the risk of mass shootings and other gun-related violence in our state.
Additionally, it is important to note that this law includes a provision for current owners of assault weapons to register their firearms with the state, ensuring that they can continue to legally possess them. This is a fair and reasonable solution that allows individuals to continue to exercise their Second Amendment rights while also taking steps to protect public safety.
I understand that this law may not be popular with everyone, but I believe it is a necessary step in addressing the ongoing issue of gun violence in our country. As your representative, I am committed to working towards solutions that keep our communities safe and I believe this law is a step in the right direction.
Thank you for your understanding and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration:
Marc Smith will continue to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Smith previously served as the Executive Vice President of Foster Care and Intact Services at Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness. Prior to serving with Aunt Martha’s, Smith worked for more than two decades as a Social Worker, trainer and leader in child welfare. From 2004 to 2009, he served as a Program Administrator and Recovery Coach at Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, where he managed the child welfare division. Earlier in his career, Smith worked as a Public Service Administrator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services from 1993 to 2000. Smith has served on numerous boards, committees and work groups, helping to shape policies and inform best practices in leadership and in the field. Smith received his Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University and his Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The directors of IEPA, and the departments of Juvenile Justice, Labor, Insurance and Healthcare and Family Services were also reappointed.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today awarded $13 million to 30 recipients to expand the Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program, which creates a qualified talent pipeline of diverse candidates in construction and the building trades. The program’s second year expands access to the program across the state and will serve up to 1,400 pre-apprentices – a 40 percent increase from the program’s inaugural year.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today at the press conference to announce the Pre-apprenticeship Program expansion about the Chicago mayor’s race and his 22 aldermanic race endorsements…
As I said, first of all, I’m pleased to have endorsed people who are doing a good job. They’ve asked me to endorse them. I could have done it sort of one at a time. I just decided to release it all at once.
And with regard to the mayor’s race for the city of Chicago. You know, it’s very important to me that the mayor of the city, whoever that is, and the governor of the state, whoever that is at the time, work closely together. We saw what happened in previous years when we had a Gov. Rauner who couldn’t work with the Mayor of the City of Chicago, and that was not good for the city. It was not good for the state of Illinois. And so I want to make sure that a good working relationship exists. There is one now with the current mayor, but whoever wins the election, I intend to have a good relationship with them, too. And so I’m staying out of the mayor’s race, but I’m glad to support local officials who are running for public office.
* Vallas press release…
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is continuing to build significant momentum behind his surging campaign, and he is announcing today that he has now raised more than $2 Million since January 1. The massive fundraising effort has allowed Vallas to outpace all other candidates in television advertising spending, while also building robust communications, voter outreach and organizing programs.
* Back to Gov. Pritzker. When responding to a question, he had this to say about MAP grant funding changes…
Community colleges play such a critical and important role. And when I came into office, what was happening was we had MAP grants that were available that we were funding and they’re available to community college students as well as university students. But because of the fiscal year and the run of the fiscal year, university students were the first ones to apply and then we would run out of money each year. Everybody else applying later than that would be out of luck. So it turns out many community college students don’t apply in the same semester that the high school students or people who are seeking to go to university apply. So we changed the way we allocated those funds. So the community colleges would benefit to a much greater degree because we need people to get engaged in the trades to learn, to earn a certificate to earn an associate degree for example. And so, again, community colleges being just as important as full four year universities.
Interesting.
* AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced he charged a former assistant Coles County state’s attorney with 32 counts of misconduct over interactions he had in his official capacity with three Coles County women between the ages of 18 and 35.
Formerly from Charleston, Illinois, Brady Allen, 33, now resides in Missouri but turned himself in to the Coles County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 26 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Raoul’s office charged Allen with nine counts of bribery, all Class 2 felonies; one count of witness harassment, a Class 2 felony; 21 counts of official misconduct, all Class 3 felonies; and one count of witness intimidation, a Class 3 felony. If convicted, Allen could face up to 7 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines. […]
From December 2018 until he resigned in August 2020, Allen served as an assistant state’s attorney in Coles County. Raoul’s office alleges that within that time frame, Allen had inappropriate text, email, phone and social media communications that were sexual in nature with female defendants he was currently or had previously prosecuted. According to Raoul, Allen solicited sexual contact, photos and videos with an understanding that in exchange, the female defendants would receive preferential treatment in their pending criminal cases.
Even after Allen was assigned to another courtroom, Raoul alleges Allen continued to solicit sexual contact, photos and videos, suggesting to the women that he could influence his colleagues at the Coles County State’s Attorney’s office. Raoul is further alleging that once Allen’s behavior was discovered, he offered to pay one female defendant’s fines and court costs if she could convince another female defendant to not pursue claims against Allen.
* Press release…
The Park District of Tinley Park [yesterday] announced it has received support from 14 additional members of the Illinois House and Senate for its proposed plan for the site of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center and Howe Development Center to transform the long-vacant property into a hub of athletic fields, track and field facilities, a domed sports complex and open recreational space.
This week, the 14 legislators, who represent communities surrounding the Tinley Park area, sent a letter of support, including: Reps. Dagmara Avelar, Kelly Burke, Will Davis, Anthony DeLuca, Marcus Evans, Fran Hurley, Thaddeus Jones, Natalie Manley, Nick Smith, Larry Walsh, and Sens. Napoleon Harris, Patrick Joyce, Elgie Sims, and Rachel Ventura.
The Park District has also previously received the support of three legislators who represent Tinley Park: Reps. Debbie Meyers-Martin, Bob Rita, and Justin Slaughter.
Last November, the Park District formally bid on the property located at 7400-7600 W. 183rd St. and laid out its vision to meet the needs of the Tinley Park residents and expand opportunities for neighboring communities.
The Park District’s Phase 1 of development for the property includes playground and sports facilities fully accessible for people living with special needs, multipurpose athletic fields, a domed sports complex with a full-size soccer field, a stadium with a track, a splash pad, concession stands, spectator stands, lighting, ample parking, as well as a pond, picnic areas and open green space.
In their letter this week to the Park District, the group of 14 legislators said the Park District’s Phase 1 plans would create an opportunity for people across the Midwest to attend tournaments, games and events at the site.
“Additionally, transforming this site into a place for all to enjoy addresses a critical need for many of our communities that could benefit greatly from access to more recreation opportunities,” the legislators wrote.
* Leader McCombie…
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (89th District- Savanna) announced the House Republican’s budget team on Friday, naming Deputy Leader Norine Hammond (94th District- Macomb) as Chief Budgeteer for the caucus for the 103rd General Assembly as well as announcing that Representative Amy Elik (111th District- Alton) will be elevated to Deputy Budgeteer.
“I am pleased that Deputy Leader Norine Hammond has accepted my appointment as Chief Budgeteer. Her in-depth experience in appropriations and policy makes her the perfect candidate for this important role,” said Leader Tony McCombie. “I have no doubt that she will work tirelessly to ensure that the budget benefits all citizens of Illinois and I look forward to the positive impact her input will have on the state. Furthermore, her dedication to serving the people of Illinois ensures that their needs and concerns will be considered in the budgeting process.”
As a member of the Higher Education Committee, Hammond has worked for increased funding for universities and community colleges throughout Illinois. She has successfully passed legislation to tackle the teacher shortage; keep Illinois students attending Illinois colleges and universities; and fairly fund public K-12 education. She has also been a strong advocate for procurement reform and other cost-cutting measures which keep dollars focused on strategic goals instead of overhead and administrative costs.
“Representative Amy Elik has spent the past twenty-eight years working as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor for businesses and government bodies. She is a valuable voice for sensible fiscal management and good government budgeting practices within our caucus. Representative Elik will provide critical support to the process and to Deputy Leader Hammond in improving the most important piece of legislation to come out of the State House annually,” Leader McCombie continued.
Rep. Elik has previously served on the House Republican budget team, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, and other relevant financial committees which have prepared her to take on this role in the budget process.
* Press release…
To recognize the most outstanding engineering achievements and celebrate the exceptional work engineers provided to their clients in the past year, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) today launched its 2023 Engineering Excellence Awards competition titled “Engineering Works.” The award is designed to honor the best infrastructure projects in Illinois and the engineering companies behind their design and construction. The competitive process to select a winner is now open to the public to learn about the projects and vote to pick a winner to be honored at the ACEC Illinois Awards gala in February.
Collectively, Hallmark Movies totaled 156 billion minutes of viewing which is kind of staggering. That's more than SNF, MNF and the FOX NFL 4:25s put together.
On Saturday, State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Bridgeview) will be joined by friends and community at a district swearing-in ceremony and reception. The oath of office will be administered by The Honorable Judge Rouhy Shalabi.
“I’m eager to reaffirm my oath of office before family, friends, elected leaders, and the communities that make up the 21st District as I begin my first term,” said Rep. Rashid. “As the first Palestinian-American legislator in Illinois, it is especially meaningful that Judge Shalabi will be presiding over the oath.” Judge Shalabi joined the bench in 2020, becoming the first Palestinian-American judge in Illinois.
What: District Swearing-in Ceremony for State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid
Who: U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, State Representative Dagmara Avelar, State Representative Mary Flowers, State Representative Norma Hernandez, State Senator Mike Porfirio, State Senator Celina Villanueva, MWRD Commissioner Eira Corral Sepúlveda, Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty, Cicero Trustee Blanca Vargas, Riverside President Joseph Ballerine, Riverside Trustee Cristin Evans, Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero, Berwyn City Council Members Marybeth Arenella, Joe Carmichael, Richard Leja, Scott Lennon, Robert Pabon and Alicia Ruiz, North Riverside President Joseph Mengoni, Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek, Countryside Mayor Sean McDermott, Summit Trustee Mayra Ortiz, Hodgkins President Ernest Millsap
* WCIA | State treasurers, comptrollers call on House Speaker, Congressional lawmakers to take action on debt ceiling: State treasurers and comptrollers across the nation including Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs are calling on U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers on Capitol Hill to take action to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling. Otherwise, they warned in a letter to him sent Tuesday, it could have major consequences for their states, including Illinois.
* Crain’s | Here are the committee assignments for freshmen of Illinois’ congressional delegation: Three of the Illinois congressional delegation’s four freshman Democrats are joining the House Agriculture Committee, including two from downstate and one from less rural environs—Rep. Jonathan Jackson of Chicago.The assignments were announced Thursday by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
* Sun-Times | Walking with the victims of Chicago’s gun violence: Gunshot victims in Chicago are regularly sent home from hospitals without the supplies they need to properly care for their injuries. So Mannion travels around with her mobile medical supply cabinet, a sad symbol of the city’s inability to deal with violence and its aftermath. […] Mannion is part of a growing army of former gang members in Chicago working to prevent violence. Some try to intervene in gang conflicts to stop retaliation. Others, like Mannion, seek to stop the cycle by tending to the physical, mental and emotional needs of victims and their families.
* WaPo | Data shows student debt relief applicants in each state as auditors question cost: The most populous states had the highest numbers of applicants and automatically eligible people, with California leading the pack with 2.3 million people, followed by Texas with 2.1 million, the data shows. Wyoming and Alaska had the fewest, with 30,000 and 38,000 respectively. Locally, 685,000 Virginians, 522,000 people from Maryland and 72,000 D.C. residents have tried to take advantage of the program, according to the data.
* WTTW | Chicago’s Plan to Make Crosswalks Accessible for Blind Pedestrians Moving at a Crawl: Last March, the Chicago Department of Transportation said it was planning to install about 150 accessible pedestrian signals in 2022 and 2023. So far, only nine of those signals are actually up and running – and only eight of them are new, since one of those installations was an upgrade to an older signal.
* ABC | New US race, ethnicity standards proposed; first since ‘97: A Middle Eastern and North African category could be added to U.S. federal surveys and censuses, and changes could be made to how Hispanics are able to self-identify, under preliminary recommendations released Thursday by the Biden administration in what would be the first update to race and ethnicity standards in a quarter century.
* The Atlantic | ‘We Used to Be Called Moderate. We Are Not Moderate.’: Early this summer, the federal government will, in all likelihood, exhaust the “extraordinary measures” it is now employing to keep paying the nation’s bills. As the country careens toward that fiscal abyss, Congress will face a now-familiar stalemate: Republicans will refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats agree to cut spending. Democrats will balk. Markets will slide—perhaps precipitously—and the economy will swiftly turn south.
* Journal Courier | Springfield museum debuting exhibit on Generation X this weekend: The museum’s “Growing Up X” exhibit will open Saturday at the museum’s downtown Springfield location. The exhibit will feature cultural touchstones for those who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, such as Apple IIe computers, telephones with cords and Teddy Ruxpin toys. Visitors also will learn how Gen X was shaped by events such as the Vietnam War, the AIDS crisis and the War on Drugs.
* David McGrath | How teachers can defeat ChatGPT-using students: If you’re a student, beware: 9 out of 10 who cheat with ChatGPT would likely be caught, earning an F for their trouble or outright expulsion. And the 10th student, smart enough to evade detection, is probably smart enough that they don’t need ChatGPT in the first place.
* AP | FDA eases rules again for gay men seeking to donate blood: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced draft guidelines that would do away with the current three-month abstinence requirement for donations from men who have sex with men. Instead, potential donors would be screened with a questionnaire that evaluates their individual risks for HIV based on sexual behavior, recent partners and other factors.
* Tribune | ‘I didn’t have a Plan B.’ How Leila Rahimi became one of Chicago’s favorite sportscasters.: Long before Leila Rahimi was named 2022 Illinois Sportscaster of the Year, she was a teenage girl calling in to her local sports radio station. But she wasn’t just calling in as a fan and avid listener, she was creating the lane to her future. “I had been calling in to the Dallas Cowboys postgame show on KVIL-FM 103.7 starting when I was a freshman because I loved watching the Cowboys, and then I started recording using a cassette,” Rahimi told the Tribune. “Once I had a body of work together, I submitted it to try to get a sports broadcasting scholarship in the name of Mark Holtz, the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers broadcaster.”
* Crain’s | Chicago Cut Steakhouse expanding: The steakhouse will add 4,500 square feet on the floor above its restaurant in the glassy 300 N. LaSalle St. building, said Managing Partner David Flom. That second floor will be all private dining.
* WaPo | The military draft ended 50 years ago, dividing a generation: The announcement, 50 years ago Friday, brought immediate relief to American men ages 19 to 25, who were eligible to be drafted during the war. It also created an arbitrary but lasting divide between the nearly 2 million men who had been drafted and those who would avoid conscription by celebrating their 19th birthdays after January 1973.
* The former state Representative has been with the administration from the beginning. Back in a minute with an update.
…Adding… Rough transcript of the governor’s remarks…
The progress that we’re here to celebrate today is progress that’s being replicated all around the state in East St. Louis, in Springfield, and Peoria, in Chicago, in Waukegan and elsewhere, Rebuild Illinois has rebuilt nearly 5000 miles of road and hundreds of bridges, cleared congestion and made communities safer and commutes safer, all while creating thousands of jobs and opening doors for a more diverse array of Illinoisans to build skills in this field through programs like Illinois works it’s the largest infrastructure investment in state history. And so much of it is still to come.
For a public servant, that alone could be the policy achievement of a lifetime. It would not have been possible without the leadership of a person that I have leaned on and relied upon, since day one of my administration, whose work on a bipartisan basis leaves a legacy that we all should admire.
Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell was my administration’s lead negotiator for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. He dedicated every day and night for months on end to making sure that Illinois took nation-leading climate action with equity and workforce development at its heart. And when we announced this accomplishment, he asked me not to praise him. But instead, each and every one of his team members who slogged through pages of text, crunched every number and pursued every innovation possible to get it done. He wanted to ensure that their dedicated service behind the scenes got the credit that it deserved.
That spirit, that spirit of teamwork, of camaraderie of a fierce pursuit of progress, and justice and safety is evident in every policy initiative that he’s been a part of. From providing prompt relief for Illinoisans impacted by tornadoes and floods to ensuring that Illinois was a leader in gun safety. It’s evident even when the task at hand is unlike any ever seen before in government, like finding PPE anywhere in the world during the shortages in the spring of 2020, so that we could keep Illinois and safe from the virus. And of course, in negotiating and implementing our Rebuild Illinois capital plan, which we’re all here talking about, and Illinois Works as a fundamental part of it.
At every turn, Christian Mitchell has delivered. In my first inaugural address, I read a Franciscan prayer shared by Sister Barbara Centner of Mercy Hospital at a vigil for people who had passed away as a result of a terrible attack that occurred there. And I have pledged that my administration would do everything in our power to make a positive difference that would lift up the people of our state. Over the last five years, Christian Mitchell has proven himself a fierce believer in that creed over and over again. Integrity, loyalty, and passion have been the hallmarks of his time in state government. Of course, the greatest hallmark of public service is that if you do the job, right, we can provide support and relief and upward trajectory for the families and people that we serve that far outlasts our tenure in office.
In March, Christian will step down from his role as deputy governor and we will miss him immensely. Christian, thank you. Thank you for your dedication, for your hard work. You’ve been a tremendous friend and ally and have been committed to really doing the best that you could for the people of Illinois at every turn. I thank you for the leadership that you’ve shown. Illinois is stronger because of you.
…Adding… Press release excerpt…
Deputy Governor Mitchell played a pivotal role in negotiating landmark legislation during Governor Pritzker’s first term. He led efforts to pass the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2021. Mitchell also oversaw the development and implementation of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, a $45 billion plan that reimagines and revamps Illinois infrastructure, mass transit, public universities, and more. Mitchell was also point person for Governor Pritzker on the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act of 2019, advocating for policies that addressed historic criminal justice inequity and disinvestment through the legalization of cannabis. Mitchell was also lead strategist for the Governor’s office on the assault weapons ban, criminal justice reform, and vote-by-mail expansion, and led the state’s procurement of a personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile during the COVID-19 pandemic. He oversaw a broad swath of state agencies during his tenure, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Corrections, State Police, Emergency Management, National Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, Capital Development Board, and Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office.
Mitchell has held consulting and advising roles throughout Chicago, Illinois, and national Democratic campaigns and offices. A Chicago native, he holds a Bachelor’s in public policy from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago.
* The New York Times has an article today about the jockeying for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. It talks about how many of the states around Illinois are backing a Chicago location. And it goes into some of the sniping…
[Gov. JB Pritzker] has noted that the city often hosts large-scale events, the state reflects the nation’s diversity — and that summertime in Chicago, along Lake Michigan, is “phenomenal,” an implicit contrast with the heat and humidity in Atlanta, and the pungent summer smells of New York City. […]
But some Chicago-skeptical Democrats quietly point out that the city is closely associated with a different Democratic president — Barack Obama — and argue that the only splashy convention Mr. Biden would ever get should be in a place that could be made to feel distinctly his own.
In an interview, Mayor Adams emphasized New York’s event infrastructure and cast the racially diverse, liberal city as a place that showcases “all the values that we look for in the Democratic Party.” (Democrats in the state, however, had a deeply disappointing midterm election.)
“When you do an examination of all the things that a good convention looks like, it says New York,” Mr. Adams proclaimed. “It reeks with New York.”
A downstate Republican is joining area sheriffs in pushing back against Illinois’ new assault weapons ban.
Sheriffs in Crawford, Jasper and Lawrence counties are among many law enforcement agencies that have refused to enforce the new law, claiming it is unconstitutional.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg said the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is an attack on Second Amendment rights and an attempt to avoid the larger issue: lack of mental health support in Illinois.
“You’re talking about gun violence, and the solution is we are going to strip these folks in this room of their Second Amendment rights. We have some of the most stringent gun control laws in the nation but still, crime is out of control in the city of Chicago as I alluded to earlier, so if the Democrats want to come to me and talk about mental health, completely open to that,” said Niemerg.
* Gov. Pritzker addressed this during his CBS News interview earlier this week…
We also by the way, have invested in mental health and substance abuse treatment significantly during my term in office. I’ve been in office for four years and I’m proud of that fact. And there is a great deal of investment that we’ve made over the last two years, made in crime prevention that is in in violence prevention on the streets, lots of programs to put kids to work, during the summers and so on. So we’re doing quite a lot what makes me think that we’re going to have a diminution of crime in our state because we’re doing all of those things. You can’t just do one, you know, assault weapons ban, all by itself. It doesn’t have the desired effect of truly reducing gun violence by a significant amount. It’s important, it’s one component, but you’ve got to do all these things.
Now, Republicans talk an awful lot about mental health and say what we really need to do is not pass assault weapons bans, but really we need mental health treatment. But they voted against it every time in our state, and we’ve made significant strides in mental health treatment. So you know, they’re hypocrites.
* But Rep. Niemerg did make a decent point at that press conference…
So, if the Democrats want to come to me and say, ‘Let’s talk about mental health,’ let’s run a standalone bill. Let’s actually approach this as we rightfully should. I am completely open to that. But all too often, you might get a little bit of funding, some crumbs for funding that fall in some huge budget bill, that we don’t know what’s in it. I sit on Appropriations, General Services. I see the budget at 11:55 on an evening and it just dropped at 11:50.
* To that larger point, Capitol News Illinois has a story about the omnibus health care bill that passed the House on the final day of the lame duck session…
A law recently signed by Gov. JB Pritzker will extend the deadline for the state to transfer criminal defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial from jail to a mental hospital.
That same bill, House Bill 240, also gives nursing homes in Illinois two more years to comply with minimum staffing levels implemented in 2022 before getting fined by the Department of Public Health. […]
And even though parts of the bill received criticism, many lawmakers who opposed those elements said they felt compelled to vote for it anyway because other parts of the bill were too important. Those necessary provisions included enabling certain rural hospitals to draw upon more federal funds, distributing federal disaster aid to ambulance services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and extending the deadline for a shuttered hospital in Chicago’s west suburbs to reopen under new ownership.
“I think that there are some important changes in this bill, and I certainly disagree with the process of putting things together where some I really support and some I don’t,” said then-Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, during a committee hearing on the bill.
Bourne ended up voting against the bill, but quite a quite a few Republicans set aside the opposition from the county sheriffs and voted for it. The bill passed 85-24. Rep. Niemerg, unsurprisingly, also voted “No.”
In the old, old days, omnibus bills were fairly rare and appropriations bills were numerous. Agencies often had their own approp bills. But so many inter- and intra-chamber games can be played with appropriations bills that the practice ended. It also makes for an easy gotcha opportunity by the majority party: “Yeah, they talk a good game, but they won’t vote for the spending bills.”
Perhaps Mr. Niemerg should come to the Democrats and talk to them about mental health. Perhaps his party should proffer a bill addressing mental health solutions to crime. While he is at it, he could also coordinate a Republican plan for addressing the social causes of many mental health issues, like poverty, underfunded rural schools, inadequate labor market opportunities.
Perhaps instead of waiting for the Democrats to address mental health, the Republicans should take up that issue. It is not as if the Democrats would avoid that discussion.
* WQAD | Pritzker signs ‘omnibus’ health care bill — here’s what’s in it: And even though parts of the bill received criticism, many lawmakers who opposed those elements said they felt compelled to vote for it anyway because other parts of the bill were too important. Those necessary provisions included enabling certain rural hospitals to draw upon more federal funds, distributing federal disaster aid to ambulance services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and extending the deadline for a shuttered hospital in Chicago’s west suburbs to reopen under new ownership.
* Fox Chicago | Illinois lawmaker says banning assault weapons masks larger issue: mental health: State Rep. Adam Niemerg said the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is an attack on Second Amendment rights and an attempt to avoid the larger issue: lack of mental health support in Illinois. “You’re talking about gun violence, and the solution is we are going to strip these folks in this room of their Second Amendment rights.”
* WBBM | Pritzker endorses for some City Council races, is silent on others: Pritzker endorses many incumbents, including some who are running unopposed, like Pat Dowell (3rd), Walter Burnett (27th) and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th). But there are no endorsements for other stalwarts like Scott Waguespack (32nd) and Brendan Reilly (42nd).
* Politico | College Board: States have not influenced our new African American studies course: Their letter comes as Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed success in potentially changing the course, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has sent his own letter urging the nonprofit that oversees AP exams not to follow Florida’s lead, calling it “political grandstanding.”
* Illinois Review | Former Republican Nominee for Governor Darren Bailey Calls on IL GOP Chair Don Tracy to “Step Down”: In a Facebook post on Tuesday, former Illinois State Senator and Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey publicly called for the first time for IL GOP chairman Don Tracy to “step down,” writing, “Enough with this nonsense! The Republican Party wants to distract from their failures by blaming the candidates that they have no control over! THE PEOPLE PICK THE CANDIDATES! Mr. Tracy, I have been patient with you, but it’s time to follow Jim Durkin’s lead and step down. The Republican Party Platform has the answers to all of our state’s problems. We simply need real leadership and candidates who will stand For The People!!!”
* Sun-Times | Highland Park parade shooting: Prosecutors get more time to indict suspect’s father: “Unexpected absences in our office” kept prosecutors from seeking an indictment against Robert E. Crimo Jr., Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeff Facklam said during a short hearing at the Lake County Courthouse. Crimo Jr. is charged with seven counts of reckless conduct for allowing his son to obtain firearms — one count for each of the people killed in last year’s Highland Park Fourth of July massacre.
* Sun-Times | Mayoral candidate Sophia King unveils education plan: Mayoral challenger Sophia King has a grand plan to breathe new life into a Chicago Public Schools system that has been hemorrhaging students — with more than 82,000 students lost in the last decade. It builds on the plan she has already announced to deliver Chicago from violent crime.
* Illinois Times | Luring new sports gamblers with freebies: Sports betting in Illinois is aggressively marketed by the companies authorized to take bets on sports in Illinois. These “sportsbooks” compete fiercely for gamblers, particularly new ones. One of the tools they use is to boost a new bettor’s wager with bonuses, so that the gambler feels like he’s playing with free money. Addiction experts fear too many will get hooked.
* Center Square | School choice movement gaining momentum in Illinois: A survey this month by the National School Choice Awareness Foundation showed that nearly 54% of parents have recently explored or are currently considering new options for their child’s education.
* AP | 5 women, immense power: Can they keep US from fiscal brink?: This year, for the first time in history, the four leaders of the two congressional spending committees are women. Granger is chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, while DeLauro is the top Democrat; Murray is Senate Appropriations chairwoman and Collins is the top Republican.
* Propublica | The Museum Built on Native American Burial Mounds: In 1945, the state of Illinois purchased the site and later expanded it into a museum. The exposed human remains were used for decades to teach schoolchildren, visitors and local residents about what the museum presented as a long-gone culture of Illinois Indians. The exhibit closed in the early 1990s, after Congress passed legislation requiring museums to begin returning Native American human remains and funerary objects to their rightful owners. Contractors installed cedar floorboards over the pit. They left no doorway, no hatch.
* Rep. Cassidy was an outspoken member of “The 19″ - the House Democrats who banded together to prevent Speaker Michael Madigan’s reelection. The Senate’s license plate numbers are their district numbers. The House plates are numbered based on seniority. So, this is a fitting coincidence…
Excited to finally get my new plates for the new session. It feels like just yesterday I was 118C & am now 19 in seniority. But more than that, I’m loving the poetry of getting this number as a member of the forever family the 19 has become! pic.twitter.com/HfqTdZ4PGf
Jobs increased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in December according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The unemployment rate decreased in thirteen metropolitan areas and increased in one.
“For nearly two years, Illinois has seen consistent job growth across the state throughout industry sectors,”said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. IDES continues to help jobseekers and employers connect with one another as more people enter the labor force and look to take advantage of newly created and expanded job opportunities in the labor market.
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Lake-Kenosha IL/WI Metro (+3.8%, +15,700), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+3.5%, +6,400), the Rockford MSA (+3.1%, +4,500) and the Chicago Metro Division (+2.9%, +108,800). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Manufacturing and Leisure and Hospitality (thirteen areas each); Other Services (twelve areas); Mining and Construction and Education and Health Services (eleven areas each); Government (ten areas); and Wholesale Trade (nine areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Rockford MSA (-1.3 points to 5.4%) and the Decatur MSA (-1.0 point to 5.1%). The Chicago Metro Division unemployment rate increased +0.1 point to 4.3%. The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in 47 counties, increased in 43, and was unchanged in 12.
Q: So you have no doubt that [President Biden] should run for reelection?
Pritzker: Yeah. I mean, look, I, again, he’s got an awful lot that he’s gotten done, and I expect that he will get done over the next well, six years.
Q: And if for some reason he takes a pass us, you still ready to pull the plug and do it yourself?
Pritzker: What do you mean ’still ready’? I just got reelected as governor of Illinois. I intend to serve out four years and, frankly, I intend to help renominate Joe Biden in a convention in Chicago in 2024.
* The Tribune is all-in on its attempt to connect Chuy Garcia with former Speaker Madigan. That’s fine and justifiable, except it’s using nothingburger stories to do it instead of citing actual evidence that’s been in plain view for years…
As Chicago mayoral candidate Jesús “Chuy” García fends off efforts by political opponents trying to tie him to indicted former House Speaker Michael Madigan, his campaign is calling on a Southwest Side aldermanic candidate who briefly worked for Madigan’s political organization to stop using a picture of García on political flyers.
The campaign brochures focus mostly on the race for alderman of the 23rd Ward near Midway Airport. But the mailers — a well-worn tool for typically parochial races — could have broader implications in the mayoral race and particularly for García, a congressman who is one of eight challengers looking to upend Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s efforts for a second term.
It’s been common in that part of the world for candidates Chuy doesn’t support to try to tie themselves to the guy because he’s so popular. Simple math. Garcia asked the candidate to stop, yet this is somehow a bad thing for Garcia? Bizarre. The coverage is starting to remind me of the New York Times Pitchbot.
Guillen says his decision to run has nothing to do with the simmering feud between Madigan and Tabares on the Southwest Side.
Sure, Jan.
* Lightfoot campaign…
At the WCPT mayoral forum, Paul Vallas floated the very same lofty claims about public safety that his toothless ads push, offering zero specifics or concrete steps to explain how he would actually tackle crime. Ultimately, beneath his rehearsed, “tough on crime” surface, Vallas is nothing but a fear-mongering gadfly who lacks the experience and the ideas to keep Chicagoans safe.
* Paul Vallas’ “original strategy” to tackle crime is nothing but recycled material from Mayor Lightfoot’s ongoing plan to reduce violence. His calls to put more officers on our streets and utilize a community-driven, proactive approach to preventing violence are all already happening — under Mayor Lightfoot.
* Another one on the mayor’s race…
NEWS: CPS told Mayor Lightfoot’s campaign they couldn’t contact students or offer extra credit hours before the campaign released statements saying it’s a “common practice” that campaigns have done for decades. pic.twitter.com/5Qd8aBQKu7
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is visiting Rockford on Thursday to announce funding for an estimated $58 million state project to reconstruct South Alpine Road and a $2.6 million grant to expand aviation mechanics training.
South Alpine is an unmarked state route that has fallen into severe disrepair. Plans are to reconstruct a 2.5-mile stretch of Alpine from Linden Road to Charles Street. But the massive project is expected to take several years to engineer and plan, beginning in 2027.
Illinois has agreed as a stop-gap to do a $1.5 million resurfacing of part of the road to make it drivable until the rest of the project can proceed, city officials have said.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Center Square | Illinois State Police look to consolidate federal gun ban challenges: Thursday, Illinois State Police motioned to consolidate Langley et al v. Kelly et al. with three other cases filed in federal court: Illinois State Rifle Association’s case Harrel, et al. v. Raoul, et al.; Illinois Gun Rights Alliance’s Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois, et al. v. Pritzker, et al; and the National Shoot Sports Foundations’ Barnett, et al. v. Raoul, et al.
* CBS Chicago | University of Illinois board increases in-state tuition for incoming freshmen: The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved what the school called a “modest” tuition increase for in-state freshman who will start school next fall at the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses. Incoming freshman from Illinois will see a 1.9% increase in their tuition, the school said in news release.
* Economic Times | Chicago is trying to lure foreign workers laid off by American tech giants: More than 35 firms in the Chicago region are willing to hire workers on H-1B visas, given to foreign employees in specialty occupations such as software engineering. The companies have teamed up with the city and P33, a nonprofit organization founded by former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, to build a job-listing website that debuts on Wednesday.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago’s school board renews charter schools for shorter periods: The process reflects an ongoing shift in the district’s relationship with its charters. Until this year, the overwhelming majority of these schools had reliably gotten five-year renewals, in some cases for more than two decades. But at the school board’s Wednesday meeting, most got much shorter contracts. Almost half landed only two-year extensions and only two schools got the full five years.
* The appeal is 59 pages long. I’ve excerpted some of the highlights, but there’s a lot more so click here to read it all…
This appeal concerns a facial constitutional challenge to the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (“SAFE-T”) Act, a statute passed in 2021 by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pritzker. […]
Plaintiffs are the state’s attorneys (and, in some cases, the sheriffs) of 64 Illinois counties. […]
The circuit court issued an opinion rejecting plaintiffs’ challenges to the Act as a whole but declaring the pretrial release provisions facially unconstitutional. […]
ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW
1. Whether the Illinois Constitution prevents the General Assembly from eliminating monetary bail, because monetary bail is required by either (a) article I, section 9 (which makes criminal defendants “bailable,” subject to certain exceptions), or (b) article I, section 8.1 (which guarantees certain rights to crime victims).
2. Whether the Constitution prevents the General Assembly from enacting statutes governing the circumstances under which courts may detain individuals pending trial. […]
(T)he proper reference point for the meaning of the bail clause is the early nineteenth century, when the [constitutional text as essentially remains today] was drafted. […]
And in the early nineteenth century, “bail” did not mean monetary bail—i.e., the practice of allowing a defendant to be released pretrial only upon payment. Rather, the term “bail” referred to pretrial release more generally, granted on conditions designed to ensure the defendant’s appearance at future court appearances—i.e., “sufficient sureties.” Indeed, monetary bail was all but unknown at the time the 1818 Constitution was drafted. At that time, as one court has explained, “‘bail’ in criminal cases relied on personal sureties”— individual guarantors, including friends or relatives, who agreed to “guarantee the defendant’s appearance at trial and, in the event of nonappearance, a sum of money.” … “In the English tradition of bail that influenced early American practice, the pledge did not require any upfront payment” at all. Holland, 895 F.3d at 290. Today’s system of monetary bail “appear[s] to have emerged in the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century,” id. at 293; accord Nat’l Inst. of Corrections, Fundamentals of Bail 26 (2014), 12 decades after the bail clause was enacted as part of the 1818 Constitution. […]
Dictionaries from this era further refute the claim that “bail” means monetary bail specifically. Samuel Johnson’s dictionary of 1755 defines “bail” as “the freeing or setting at liberty [of] one arrested or imprisoned . . . , under security taken for his appearance,” 1 Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language (1755),13 a definition reprised in the 1818 version, published the year the bail clause was enacted … Even later dictionaries preserve this basic meaning, defining bail as “the means of procuring the release from custody of a person charged with a criminal offense . . . by assuring his future appearance in court,” James A. Ballentine, Ballentine’s Law Dictionary 119 (William S. Anderson ed., 3d ed. 1969),16 or even “the process by which a person is released from custody,” 1 Webster’s Third New Int’l Dictionary 163 (1971) (def. e).
To be sure, defendants released before trial, or “bailed,” historically were released with conditions, both monetary and non-monetary, meant to assure their appearance at trial. But the Act’s pretrial release provisions permit a court to do just that. See 725 ILCS 5/110-5(c), 5/110-10. A court may require a defendant to submit to electronic monitoring to ensure his or her appearance at trial; it may require a defendant to remain at home, with or without the supervision of the Pretrial Services Agency, to ensure that he or she does not flee the State; it may require a defendant to report to the court, or to a third party, as frequently as it deems necessary; and it may impose any other “reasonable conditions” that it believes are needed to ensure the defendant’s appearance. Id. 5/110-10(b). These non-monetary conditions of release, just like monetary bail, allow a court to ensure that a defendant will return, and so constitute “sufficient” sureties within the scope of the clause. […]
The legislative history of the 1970 Convention also refutes plaintiffs’ reading of the clause, which would protect not defendants’ liberty interests but instead the institution of monetary bail. Indeed, the convention drafters expressly discussed the possibility that the General Assembly might at some future point abolish monetary bail, and agreed that doing so would not violate the bail clause. […]
This Court has also considered and rejected a version of plaintiffs’ argument before—namely, that the bail clause requires a particular kind of “surety.” As discussed, supra p. 6, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 contained provisions designed to eliminate or reduce defendants’ reliance on professional surety companies, an industry the General Assembly viewed as predatory. The statute thus permitted a defendant for whom monetary bail was set to obtain release by furnishing only 10% of the amount, but imposed more onerous burdens on professional surety companies, requiring them to furnish a cash deposit for 100% of the amount. … The Court rejected the defendant’s argument that the bail clause required the State to maintain a particular kind of surety system—there, the prior system under which professional surety companies put up unsecured bonds. … It explained that the legislature had determined that such a method “does not accomplish the purpose of bail”—namely, “to give the accused liberty until he is proved guilty, but yet have some assurance that he will appear for trial”— and the Court would defer to that decision. […]
Even if the circuit court were correct that the bail clause’s reference to “bail” should be read to refer to monetary bail, it would not follow that section 110-1.5, or the pretrial release provisions generally, violate the clause. That is because, no matter how it is read, the bail clause plainly confers a right on criminal defendants only—that is, it establishes a constitutional floor, under which a defendant is entitled to be released at least upon furnishing monetary bail. […]
To start, the text and structure of the bail clause demonstrate that it confers rights on criminal defendants, not on law enforcement officers or on courts. … That the bail clause secures the rights of criminal defendants, and does not confer any entitlement on courts or law enforcement officers, defeats plaintiffs’ claims, no matter the scope of the right the clause confers. For one, it means that plaintiffs lack standing to advance a claim based on an alleged deprivation of rights under the bail clause. […]
B. Section 110-1.5 does not violate the crime victims’ rights clause. […]
First, plaintiffs lack standing to invoke the crime victims’ rights clause, because that clause grants rights only to crime victims, not to law enforcement officers like plaintiffs. […]
Second, and relatedly, the clause cannot be read to require a monetary bail system, as plaintiffs suggest and the circuit court held. See A16. The purpose of the clause, as this Court has explained, was to “serve as a shield to protect the rights of victims,” People v. Richardson, 196 Ill. 2d 225, 231 (2001) (cleaned up), not to enact sweeping changes to the State’s criminal justice system. But under plaintiffs’ account, even if the bail clause does not require the existence of a system of monetary bail, the crime victims’ rights clause independently has that exact same effect. Plaintiffs, in other words, contend that Illinois voters in 2014 agreed to amend the Constitution to mandate the existence of a monetary bail system under the auspices of a provision securing procedural rights to crime victims. But the drafters of proposed constitutional amendments, like legislators, do not “hide elephants in mouseholes,” and plaintiffs identify no evidence that the amendment was understood to make such a monumental change to the State’s criminal justice system. Indeed, courts have repeatedly rejected arguments that the clause made any substantive changes to the criminal justice system that exceed the narrow procedural rights given to crime victims by its plain text.
Finally, and in any event, section 110-1.5, and the pretrial release provisions more broadly, comply with the clause. The clause requires only that courts consider the safety of victims and their families “in denying or fixing the amount of bail, determining whether to release the defendant, and setting conditions of release after arrest and conviction.” Ill. Const. art. I, § 8.1(a)(9). The pretrial release provisions do just that: They require a court to consider the “nature and seriousness of the real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons that would be posed by the defendant’s release,” including crime victims and their family members, “as required under” the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act. See 725 ILCS 5/110-5(a)(4). Consistent with the clause, the provisions also require the court to give notice to crime victims before holding a pretrial release hearing, before revoking a condition of pretrial release, and in a range of other contexts. See id. 5/110-5(a)(j); 5/110- 6(h); 5/110-6.1(m). The pretrial release provisions thus secure, rather than contravene, the rights guaranteed by the clause, in that they require the court to consider the safety of victims at every stage at which the court determines whether and on what conditions a defendant should be released. […]
The detention provisions do not violate separation-of- powers principles. […]
Although this Court in Hemingway recognized an inherent judicial authority to detain defendants pending trial, the Act’s detention provisions do not unduly infringe upon that authority by regulating the circumstances under which it may be exercised. And even if there were cases under which the detention provisions do infringe upon that authority, plaintiffs cannot show that they do so in every case, as their facial challenge requires. […]
The separation-of-powers clause provides that “[t]he legislative, executive, and judicial branches are separate,” such that “[n]o branch shall exercise powers properly belonging to another.” Ill. Const. art. II, § 1. But the clause “was not designed to achieve a complete divorce among the three branches of government; nor does it prescribe a division of governmental powers into rigid, mutually exclusive compartments.” […]
Hemingway, then, establishes that courts have an inherent authority to detain defendants pending trial under certain circumstances. But Hemingway did not hold, or even suggest, that the legislature was generally precluded from regulating courts’ exercise of that authority. To the contrary, the Court repeatedly emphasized with approval various ways that the Code of Criminal Procedure set out standards for courts to apply in achieving the “appropriate balance . . . between the right of an accused to be free on bail pending trial and the need of the public to be given necessary protection.” […]
In the decades since Hemingway, the General Assembly has repeatedly revised the section of the Code of Criminal Procedure that governs pretrial release, establishing detailed and comprehensive regulations for courts to apply in determining whether and on what conditions to release a defendant pending trial. Indeed, the legislature has amended section 110-5 of the Code over 20 times, setting out an increasingly detailed list of factors that courts are required to consider in “determining the amount of monetary bail or conditions of release” in any given case. […]
Indeed, were the circuit court correct, the bail provisions enacted in 1963 and applied without controversy for decades since would be unconstitutional en masse—a result that cannot be squared with common sense, history, or, for that matter, Hemingway itself, which discusses at length the importance of “the sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure” regulating pretrial release.
“Peoria County jail records indicate Massengill was arrested for domestic battery in 2022,” It is past time that law enforcement started connecting the dots between domestic violence and other violent crimes. We spend so much time talking about root causes of violence and domestic violence does not get enough focus. Hurting those close to one, stalking, INCELs, it’s a big root cause.
* This is the story that Amalia quoted, from Fox 2…
The Chillicothe man accused of the Planned Parenthood arson in Peoria on January 15 has an extensive criminal history dating back 20 years, court and jail records show.
Tyler Massengill has been arrested more than 25 times in Peoria County.
Peoria County court records show Massengill is on probation for aggravated assault and criminal trespass to a residence. He also served time in prison for theft in 2016.
Peoria County jail records indicate Massengill was arrested for domestic battery in 2022, criminal damage to property in 2019 and 2016, violent mob action in 2013 and 2011, aggravated domestic battery with strangling in 2012 and residential burglary in 2007, to name a few.
Sandra Ziebold is the executive director of Beacon of Hope Crisis Center in Indianapolis, and said she has seen an increase in victims who have been victims of strangulation. […]
“Nonfatal strangulation has been reported in nearly 45 percent of attempted homicides in domestic violence situations against women, and 97 percent of victims are strangled manually,” Ziebold said.
Her organization saw such an increase in reported strangulations, that they began collecting data on their own. What they found aligned with previous reports from researchers and law enforcement professionals concluding nonfatal strangulation is a leading indicator of escalating violence in a relationship, and an important risk factor for homicide.
“That data collected, just time after time, shows that a strangler typically ends up committing other homicides. And oftentimes, just with the gun. Most often, even cop killers, you can typically link them back to having been prior stranglers,” Ziebold said.
Every domestic violence event may double as an intervention point — a moment when authorities can step in and take action before a relationship escalates into more violence, to get help for the victim, to separate the couple, and/or get assistance and resources for the potentially violent partner. […]
At minimum, training should involve teaching first responders to do a thorough risk assessment to determine who is the vulnerable partner and who is the predominant aggressor — the person at risk of escalating into violence.
According to a 2015 survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, about 42 percent of law enforcement agencies conduct risk assessments in domestic violence situations. Only 39 percent of agencies have a “specific strategy for responding to repeat domestic violence calls.” That number needs to be much higher across the country.
Agencies should also be able to identify intervention points that might allow them to help deescalate situations and prevent later violence from occurring. These might range from a routine home visit from an agency to a 911 call; hospital visits are also prime opportunities to identify domestic violence victims, but assessments in those settings are uncommon. A grounding in the theory of coercive control in relationships — to recognize abuse that may be emotional but not currently physical — can help police and other first responders see past the dominant narrative of a controlling partner. Every domestic violence event may double as an intervention point — a moment when authorities can step in and take action before a relationship escalates into more violence, to get help for the victim, to separate the couple, and/or get assistance and resources for the potentially violent partner.
Today, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) released Mass Attacks in Public Spaces: 2016 - 2020, a comprehensive report examining 173 incidents of targeted violence and highlighting the observable commonalities among the attackers.
The analysis is intended to provide critical information to a cross-sector of community organizations that have a role in preventing these types of tragedies. Among the report’s key findings:
-Most of the attackers had exhibited behavior that elicited concern in family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and others, and in many cases, those individuals feared for the safety of themselves or others.
-Many attackers had a history of physically aggressive or intimidating behaviors, evidenced by prior violent criminal arrests/charges, domestic violence, or other acts of violence toward others. […]
-One-quarter of the attackers subscribed to a belief system involving conspiracies or hateful ideologies, including anti-government, anti-Semitic, and misogynistic views.
We found that 59.1% of mass shootings between 2014 and 2019 were DV-related and in 68.2% of mass shootings, the perpetrator either killed at least one partner or family member or had a history of DV. We found significant differences in the average number of injuries and fatalities between DV and history of DV shootings and a higher average case fatality rate associated with DV-related mass shootings (83.7%) than non-DV-related (63.1%) or history of DV mass shootings (53.8%). Fifty-five perpetrators died during the shootings; 39 (70.9%) died by firearm suicide, 15 (27.3%) were killed by police, and 1 (1.8%) died from an intentional overdose.
The draft of a bill that potentially would entitle the Chicago Bears to millions of dollars in subsidies for their proposed new Arlington Heights stadium complex has surfaced in Springfield—and there are signs it has begun to pick up significant backing.
Under a measure that the Bears have been informally shopping for a while and which has now moved to a new phase, the state could create a new kind of break known as payment in lieu of taxes, or PILT. […]
In a phone interview, CEO Todd Maisch said the chamber is “highly inclined to be in favor of the legislation,” which has been drafted but not yet introduced. Before totally signing off, Maisch said he’d like to see final language and would prefer that some other development breaks be added, such as for the long-blighted south suburbs. […]
Language in the bill guarantees that construction work on any PILT project will be done under a project labor agreement that generally guarantees payment of the union wage to all workers.
The same material Greg and I received from the PR firm boosting this proposal was given to the legislative leaders yesterday. We’ll see what they say going forward.
• A Mega Project Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (“PILOT”) is a temporary freeze of assessed value for purposes of calculating property taxes. In return for the frozen assessed value, a PILOT recipient commits to developing a mega project that benefits the community, but that would not occur without the PILOT incentive.
• Under a PILOT structure, the entity that receives the frozen assessed value agrees to make annual payments to the local government in lieu of real estate taxes (PILOT payments).
• The local government that receives the annual PILOT payments distributes the payments to all the applicable taxing districts.
• A mega project PILOT program will provide significant economic benefits to the state and there are no general tax increases associated with enacting such legislation and/or implementing PILOT agreements.
• The amount of the PILOT payments is a negotiated amount that would exceed the amount of taxes currently generated by the property without the mega project.
• PILOT incentives are extended to for-profit and non-profit corporations, developers, and other investors to induce mega projects during the negotiation and/or bidding process and are used by state and local governments in more than 35 states (other than Illinois).
Why is a Mega Project PILOT incentive necessary?
• Illinois’ property tax system disproportionately discourages large-scale projects that generate significant economic activity relative to their burden on taxing districts, placing Illinois at a competitive disadvantage to other states in the region and nationally.
• Illinois has competed for a number of mega projects from manufacturers looking to invest billions of dollars which have gone to other states—according to a recent Crain’s Chicago Business article, Illinois’ record is 0-18 for luring battery plant projects.
• Mega project PILOT incentives allow local governments to lure companies and beneficial projects with major capital investment, to create more jobs, and to better satisfy the business/labor coalition frustrated with missed opportunities of recent years.
Key points for consideration
• Mega project PILOT incentives are focused and targeted. In the proposed legislation, only projects exceeding $500M in capital investment are eligible for the incentive. Projects of such scale are certain to produce significant economic and community benefits.
• At a time when re-shoring and onshoring of major businesses are increasing, a mega project incentive will make Illinois much more competitive in attracting and retaining investment.
• Mega project incentive legislation will enable Illinois to compete with dozens of states for the next generation of American manufacturing plants and other major capital investments, and secure thousands of high-paying jobs.
There’s more, particularly about manufacturing. It might make sense for that. But Illinois isn’t competing with other states for the Bears. Chicago is competing with Arlington Heights . And there are a lot more Chicago legislators than Arlington Heights legislators. This might actually zoom through if existing Illinois professional sports teams were specifically excluded /s.
A candidate running for an office that does not currently exist within the Town of Normal government said he was recruited for the job.
Robert Shoraga was one of three Normal residents who filed petitions Nov. 21 for candidacy for offices that either are nonexistent or have historically been an appointed position: Shoraga filed for Town Supervisor (nonexistent); Charles Sila filed for Town Collector (nonexistent) and Amy Conklin filed for Town Clerk (an appointed position). […]
(C)andidate for Town Collector and accounting firm owner Charles Sila said he, too, believes Normal should have the position he is seeking, according to state law. Sila continued to refer to Normal as a “village,” despite Kording’s September ruling that Normal is a town, as its charter states. […]
WGLT reached out to Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich to see how often people file petitions of candidacy for offices that do not exist at the time of filing.
“I’ve never heard of that happening,” Dietrich wrote in an email reply.
The matter of whether three people can run for offices in Normal that are currently non-elective is now in the hands of the McLean County Circuit Court.
Former Republican state attorney general candidate Tom DeVore filed a lawsuit against the Town of Normal and Clerk Angie Huonker earlier this month on behalf of three residents — two of whom filed nominating petitions for nonexistent offices, and one of whom filed to run for a non-elected office.
Three people attempting to run for nonelective offices in Normal do not have an “unequivocal right” to have their candidacy petitions certified by the town clerk — and their names placed on the April election ballot — according to a McLean County judge’s ruling.
11th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Mark Fellheimer on Wednesday dismissed legal action filed against Normal Clerk Angie Huonker, saying his interpretation of state and municipal law does not indicate she was legally obligated to approve candidate petitions for offices that were either appointed or nonexistent at the time of filing. […]
“The court finds here that … the petitioners did not have an unequivocal right to have their nominating petitions certified … and then secondly, the clerk did not have an unequivocal duty to certify those petitions for offices that are not in existence in the Town of Normal,” Fellheimer said from the bench. […]
Chicago-based Michael Kasper of Kasper and Nottage in Chicago, as well as Allen Wall and Jason Guisinger of Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, represented Normal.
…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter, here’s a post from a local blog that supported the effort…
Unfortunately people who filed petitions now owe Tom Devore $8,544.40 more than the $5000.00 they already paid. To appeal Fellheimer’s decision would cost another $10,000.
Incorporated town officers. For the general municipal election to be held in the year 1985 in every incorporated town with a population of 25,000 or more by the last official census, and every 4 years thereafter, the municipal clerk shall certify the names of the candidates to the proper election authority as provided by the general election law. A president, a clerk, an assessor, a collector, and a supervisor shall be elected for a term of 4 years and until their successors are elected and have qualified.
On Wednesday morning, in a hearing to discuss Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s assault weapons ban, White County Judge T. Scott Webb heard arguments from representatives of Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, and from Tom DeVore, who is representing over 1,600 plaintiffs, including former Illinois State Senator and Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey; 68 federal firearms dealers and 92 counties, saying the case is “under advisement” and that a ruling would follow after further review.
Due to the weather, the hearing was held over zoom.
The lawsuit raises the same claims as the one filed last week in Effingham County and names Gov. JB Pritzker, State Senate President Don Harmon, D, Illinois House Speaker Christopher Welch, D, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, D, as defendants.
A White County Circuit Court judge has again ruled Illinois’ Firearm Owner Identification Card is unconstitutional, setting the stage for the Illinois Supreme Court to reexamine the issue.
In 2017, Vivian Brown, an elderly resident of White County, was charged with violating the FOID card law for owning a rifle without possessing a FOID card.
In February 2018, the White County Circuit Court sided with Brown and found the FOID card law unconstitutional when applied to her case. The state appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court a few months later.
Last April, the Illinois Supreme Court didn’t make a decision on the case, calling into question the process the circuit court used.
On Tuesday, White County Judge T. Scott Webb dismissed the charges against Brown and ruled the FOID card law was unconstitutional, saying it makes the Second Amendment a “facade,” turning a right into a privilege.
Maybe ask a lobbyist about the fees and regulations and reporting requirements they have to follow for the privilege of exercising their First Amendment rights. Or ask political candidates about the myriad state and federal regulations put on them. And then ask people who want to demonstrate about the public permitting process.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is going to battle with the national College Board over what he calls “political grandstanding” by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Chicago Democrat is warning the nonprofit that oversees the Advanced Placement program that Illinois will reject a revised African American Studies course if it doesn’t include “a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans.”
Pritzker sent a sharply worded letter to the board over its decision to revise the Advanced Placement course in African American Studies after the Florida governor — and likely GOP presidential candidate — blocked Florida high schools from offering the course because it included segments on “queer theory” and “abolishing prisons,” among other topics.
It’s unclear how the course will be changed or if the revisions stem from Florida’s rejection, but the College Board said the new framework would be released on Feb. 1.
Pritzker objected to any change “in order to fit Florida’s racist and homophobic laws.”
* The course is a College Board pilot project with 60 high schools nationwide. As with all pilot projects, it’s under review before the board rolls it out nationally and won’t be required. Yet, the Florida Department of Education tried to take credit for any changes and all heck has broken loose…
We are glad the College Board has recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic, and we are encouraged to see the College Board express a willingness to amend. AP courses are standardized nationwide, and as a result of Florida’s strong stance against identity politics and indoctrination, students across the country will consequentially have access to an historically accurate, unbiased course.
As Governor DeSantis said, African American History is American History, and we will not allow any organization to use an academic course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda. We look forward to reviewing the College Board’s changes and expect the removal of content on Critical Race Theory, Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality and other topics that violate our laws.
But some people think the governor is just trying to shift the focus from his original statement.
“I think that it is a total distraction from their original statement. Their original statement was that African American studies bring no value to education,” said State Senator Shevrin Jones.
* Here’s the full Pritzker letter…
January 25th, 2023
To Mr. David Coleman,
As Governor of the great state of Illinois, I have spent every day of the last four years fighting to ensure that every Illinoisan has the same opportunities regardless of the color of their skin, the zip code they live in, or the school they attend. That fight includes the opportunity to learn without the threat of bigotry and hatred guiding lessons plans. I am writing to you today to urge the College Board to preserve the fundamental right to an education that does not follow the political grandstanding of Governor DeSantis and the whims of Republicans in Florida.
Advanced Placement courses are a core part of the high school experience for students wishing to push themselves academically and prepare themselves for college. Each year, over 115,000 public school students in Illinois take AP exams. In 2020, our state ranked number one in the country for largest year-over-year increase of students scoring a 3 or higher on these exams. These passing scores translated into credit at public universities across Illinois and the country, resulting in thousands of dollars in tuition saved, often for those students most in-need of financial assistance. We value Advanced Placement courses in this state and have no doubt as to the efficacy of the program. However, I am extremely troubled by recent news reports that claim Governor DeSantis is pressuring the College Board to change the AP African American Studies course in order to fit Florida’s racist and homophobic laws.
Illinois expects any AP course offered on African American Studies to include a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans. Illinois will closely examine the official coursework to ensure it includes all necessary history, starting with this nation’s foundation built on slavery, the Civil War where this nation reckoned with that history and the decades of rebuilding and efforts of black Americans to continue their fight for equality and equity to this day.
Black history is American History. Many students who will take this class encounter racism on a personal and systemic level long before they reach high school and take their first AP class. For some, a course such as this may be one of the first times they see their own faces and experiences reflected back to them on the page. They deserve the opportunity, alongside their classmates, to learn the honest and accurate history of the nation they live in now. It’s often said that we study history so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. This cannot be achieved when a misleading version of history is taught. If we refuse to teach our next generation honestly we are bound to repeat old cycles and reopen old wounds—fueling the animus that Governor DeSantis uses to score attention and divisive headlines.
Regardless of some leaders’ efforts, ignoring and censoring the accurate reporting of history will not change the realities of the country in which we live. In Illinois, we will not accept this watering down of history. I urge you to maintain your reputation as an academic institution dedicated to the advancement of students and refuse to bow to political pressure that would ask you to rewrite our nation’s true, if sometimes unpleasant, history. One Governor should not have the power to dictate the facts of U.S. history. In Illinois, we reject any curriculum modifications designed to appease extremists like the Florida Governor and his allies.
The latest controversy in Florida education policies began this month, when the DeSantis administration said a pilot Advanced Placement course on Black history would not be approved by the state Department of Education because it violated state law and “lacks educational value.”
The state Education Department listed “concerns” in the curriculum, including topics covering “Intersectionality and Activism,” “Black Feminist Literary Theory” and “Black Queer Studies.”
“Now who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory?” DeSantis said at a news conference this week. “That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids.”
But critics of the governor, who has made eliminating what he calls “woke indoctrination” from schools and businesses a key part of his platform, say he is unfairly targeting Black history by not allowing the course to be taught in Florida. Other Advanced Placement classes, such as European history, have not been scrutinized by the DeSantis administration.
The state [of Florida] criticizes the section’s inclusion of a reading by Leslie Kay Jones, an assistant sociology professor at Rutgers University. It cites her quote, “Black people produce an unquantifiable amount of content for the same social media corporations that reproduce the white supremacist superstructure that suppresses us.”
Jones said she found no indication that the Movement for Black Lives has ever advocated for prison abolition. She is surprised DeSantis’ staff attacked her for criticizing social media companies, as he does the same.
She said this is why students should have the ability “to come to their own conclusions through an evaluation of primary and secondary texts.”
“Is Ron DeSantis claiming that Florida students are unable to formulate their own opinions?” she said.
A federal judge in Florida partially blocked a law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis designed to limit the discussion of racism and privilege in schools and workplace training. […]
“The State of Florida’s decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all,” Walker wrote. “But the First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints, and cast us all into the dark.” […]
In his order, Judge Walker, an Obama appointee, opened by reciting the first sentence of 1984, George Orwell’s novel about life under a futuristic totalitarian government.
“‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,’ and the powers in charge of Florida’s public university system have declared the State has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of ‘freedom,’” the judge wrote. “This is positively dystopian.”
* I do not think I have ever seen this from a governor before. Your thoughts?…
Today, on the first day of early voting, Governor JB Pritzker announced his endorsements across several Chicago City Council races.
“With early voting beginning today, I am pleased to offer my strong endorsement of these local leaders,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am confident in their abilities to guide their communities with tenacity and deliver for their constituents. I look forward to working with each and every one of these leaders to continue improving the lives of working families across Chicago.”
“Conversations are ongoing,” according to a person familiar with the governor’s political endeavors. “He’s endorsing a diverse slate of candidates who share his Democratic values and who he can partner with at the local level.”
With that in mind. Missing from the endorsement list are right-leaning aldermanic incumbents, including Raymond Lopez (15th), Nick Sposato (38th) and Anthony Napolitano (41st). And Ald. Derrick Curtis didn’t make it on the list either. Those recent headlines about accidental shootings didn’t do him any favors.
*** UPDATE *** CBS News interviewed the governor a couple of days ago, and he said he wasn’t getting involved in the first round of the mayor’s race…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker tells @edokeefe he’s not getting involved in the Chicago mayoral race.
“What's most important to me is that whoever the mayor is… that there's somebody who was willing to work with the governor of the state because there's so much we can get done…” pic.twitter.com/np59rTtkGR
It’s unclear if Pritzker will follow up his City Council endorsements with campaign cash, but the governor has not been shy in past cycles about throwing his billions to candidates he supports.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Pritzker said no contributions “as of today” and “conversations are still ongoing” with other potential City Council Candidates.
* Two years ago, Tyler W. Massengill, the man who allegedly confessed to committing arson at the Peoria Planned Parenthood, posted this on his facebook page…
* Here’s your morning roundup…
* PJ-S | Chillicothe man charged in fire at Planned Parenthood clinic: It was ‘all worth it’: Tyler W. Massengill, 32, told officials investigating the case that if his “actions the night of January 15, 2023, caused ‘a little delay’ in a person receiving services at the PHC, his conduct may have been ‘all worth it,’” according to federal court records filed Wednesday.
* WCIA | Illinois pays off final part of pandemic unemployment debt: In November, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a bill that would eliminate the rest of the pandemic unemployment debt by using the state’s surplus in revenue to pay it off. The bill was supported by Democrats, Republicans, as well as labor unions and business groups, before being signed into law by Pritzker Monday.
* The Center Square | GOP senators oppose prospect of another progressive income tax proposal in Illinois: The Illinois Constitution requires a flat income tax. The progressive income tax proposal in 2020 would have brought a tiered income tax structure with increased taxes on higher income earners, but voters rejected the idea. State Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, said he plans to offer the measure in the coming weeks.
* Tribune | Mayor, police superintendent, fire commissioner hold ribbon-cutting for controversial $170 million training facility: The Chicago Joint Public Safety Training Campus, 4433 W. Chicago Ave., is on the 30.4-acre site of a former railroad yard. The facility will be used by members of CPD, CFD and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. The “modern training campus” will include community spaces, computer labs, classrooms, scenario training and an indoor shooting range, according to the Public Building Commission.
* Crain’s | Lightfoot to back effective ban on natural gas in new buildings: It would echo a similar statute signed into law a little over a year ago in New York City by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have taken matters further and outright banned gas in new buildings as America’s largest cities attempt to do their part in response to climate change.
* Tribune | Judge slaps ex-Chicago college student who spied for China with 8 years in federal prison: A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a former Chicago college student to eight years in federal prison for spying on behalf of the Chinese government, saying it was clear that his ultimate goal was to become a “sleeper agent” and infiltrate some of the United States’ most sensitive operations.
* Sun-Times | CPS to consider science, social studies marks instead of standardized tests for advancing to the next grade: The district didn’t hold any students back the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the unprecedented circumstances kids faced academically and socially in remote learning. Officials have since been reviewing their grade retention and promotion policy and presented an updated one Wednesday to the Board of Education, which approved the new rules.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago flexes its labor muscle in the fight for the 2024 Democratic convention: The Chicago Federation of Labor is releasing a new digital ad campaign on Wednesday, first made available to NBC News, laying out a case that it’s the home of the labor movement and has a plentiful cast of union members ready to work, particularly at hotels, if the White House places the convention in Chicago.
* Pensions & Investments | State treasurers warn of pension fund, 401(k) damage if debt ceiling breached: “We are concerned that the United States government will be forced to default on its debt which would have severe consequences for the states and municipalities we serve, the U.S. economy and the day-to-day lives of the American people,” the fiscal stewards of typically blue states and cities said in a letter sent Tuesday to Mr. McCarthy.
* WTTW | Push to Reopen Public Mental Health Clinics Closed 11 Years Ago Defines Another Chicago Mayor’s Race: That 2011 decision rippled through not only Emanuel’s 2015 bid for reelection, but also the 2019 contest to elect his successor. In 2023, the issue is once again center stage during the race for Chicago mayor, fueled in part by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shone a harsh spotlight on the citywide need for robust and affordable mental health care, as well as continuing concerns about the violence that can erupt when people in crisis call Chicago police for help.
* Jewish Insider | Chuy García’s record on Israel comes under scrutiny in Chicago mayoral race: Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), a leading Democratic challenger to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, faced a tough line of questioning over his congressional record on Israel in a candidate interview with the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune on Monday, according to audio of the exchange obtained by Jewish Insider.
* Tribune | CTU brings demand for ‘equitable’ parental leave to Chicago Board of Education: ‘We deserve that’: “I bring you urgency from the workers who are making it happen every day. … How do we honor their commitment?” Gates said, with the union again highlighting the discrepancy between the maximum two weeks of paid parental leave that Chicago Public Schools employees receive and the three months granted to city employees as of Jan. 1.
