Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* HB4589 from Rep. Jay Hoffman…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Act. Eliminates the provision that provided for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2025. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Includes “catalytic converter” in the definition of “essential parts”. Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Excludes catalytic converter from the definition of “recyclable metals”. Requires transactions involving a catalytic converter to include the identification number of the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed and the part number or other identifying number of the catalytic converter that was removed. Provides that, in a transaction involving a catalytic converter, the recyclable metal dealer must also require a copy of the certificate of title or registration showing the seller’s ownership in the vehicle. Makes it unlawful for any person to purchase or otherwise acquire a used, detached catalytic converter or any nonferrous part thereof unless specified conditions are met. Provides that a used, detached catalytic converter does not include a catalytic converter that has been tested, certified, and labeled for reuse in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act. Defines terms. Makes technical changes.

* Center Square…

Illinois farmers and landowners are concerned that Illinois law makes it too easy for developers to use eminent domain to seize land for carbon dioxide pipeline projects.

Bill Bodine, the Illinois Farm Bureau’s director of business and regulatory affairs, said preventing the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipeline rights of way and storage areas is a top priority for IFB members in the current state legislative session. […]

In 2011, the legislature passed the Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Act. It grants CO2 pipeline developers eminent domain authority. Illinois Farm Bureau members want to see that power taken away from developers. […]

Illinois landowners want regulators to require proof of progress being made on willing agreements between landowners and developers before a pipeline project can be approved, Bodine said.

* Rep. Joyce Mason filed HB4596…

Amends the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. Removes a provision that the Act shall not apply to any employee who is covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement with an employer that provides services nationally and internationally of delivery, pickup, and transportation of parcels, documents, and freight. Provides that the definition of “employee” does not include an employee as defined in the Federal Employers’ Liability Act.

* SB2897 from Sen. Tom Bennett…

Creates the Campus Free Speech Act. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college to develop and adopt a policy on free expression; sets forth what the policy must contain. Requires the Board of Higher Education to create a Committee on Free Expression to issue an annual report. Requires public institutions of higher education to include in their freshman orientation programs a section describing to all students the policies and rules regarding free expression that are consistent with the Act. Contains provisions concerning rules, construction of the Act, and enforcement.

* Rep. Edgar Gonzalez filed HB4595 Friday…

Amends the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986. Provides that the Secretary of State shall include data fields on its annual report form that allows a corporation to report, at its discretion, the aggregated demographic information of its directors and officers, including race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Provides that, within 30 days after filing its annual AG990-IL Charitable Organization Annual Report, a corporation that reports grants of $1,000,000 or more to other charitable organizations shall post on its publicly available website, if one exists, the aggregated demographic information of the corporation’s directors and officers, including race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Provides that the aggregated demographic information shall be accessible on the corporation’s publicly available website for at least 5 years after it is posted. Provides that the Department of Human Rights shall work with community partners to prepare and publish a standardized list of demographic classifications to be used by the Secretary of State and corporations for the reporting of the aggregated demographic information. Provides that, in collecting the aggregated demographic information, a corporation shall allow for an individual to decline to disclose any or all personal demographic information to the corporation. Effective January 1, 2025.

* Sen. Sue Rezin filed SB2908…

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as Sami’s Law. Amends the Equitable Restrooms Act. Provides that the owner or operator of each public building and State-owned building shall install and maintain in that building at least one adult changing station that is publicly accessible if the building is constructed 2 or more years after the effective date of the amendatory Act or if certain alterations or additions are made to the building 4 or more years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires the owner or operator of a public building and the owner or operator of a State-owned building to ensure that certain information about the location of adult changing stations in the buildings is provided. Defines terms.

* SB2926 from Sen. Natalie Toro…

Amends the Illinois State Police Act and the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that a person may not be selected or appointed as a State Police officer or certified as a law enforcement officer unless the person has performed satisfactorily on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2) or another preemployment personality test prescribed and administered by the Illinois State Police or the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. The test shall be taken by all applicants in the final selection process for a State Police officer or law enforcement position. Includes provisions relating to interpretation and evaluation of the preemployment personality test and testing dates. Provides that the Illinois State Police or law enforcement agency shall screen all officers at least once annually to evaluate the overall mental health of the officer, including whether the officer has negative impact of lateral trauma, signs of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or other negative outcomes related to the officer’s career.

* Lake County News-Sun…

After a wildcat being kept as a pet got loose in a Vernon Hills neighborhood, a state representative introduced legislation proposing a ban on the possession of the African feline, called a serval, in Illinois.

Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, proposed the legislation during the first week of the 2024 General Assembly session. Vernon Hills is part of Didech’s district. […]

Because servals are not included in the state’s dangerous animal statute, Didech said it limited Vernon Hills’ ability to respond to the November incident.

Deputy Police Chief Shannon Holubetz said the village was not able to cite the serval owners because the animal was not regulated under any local, county or state statutes.

* Sen. Tom Bennett filed SB2905…

Amends the Legislative Commission Reorganization Act of 1984. Provides for the acquisition and placement of statues depicting: (1) President Ronald W. Reagan; and (2) President Barack H. Obama. Provides that the Architect of the Capitol may provide for the design and fabrication of the statues, or may otherwise acquire, using funds collected for such purpose or through donation, a suitable statue for placement on the grounds of the State Capitol. Requires the Architect of the Capitol to take actions necessary to provide for the placement and unveiling of the statues within specified periods of time. Requires the Architect of the Capitol to issue a report to the Governor and General Assembly detailing actions taken to acquire and place the statues. Provides that the Capitol Restoration Trust Fund shall contain separate accounts for the deposit of funds donated for the payment of expenses associated with the placement of the statues. Provides that the separate accounts may accept deposits from any source, whether private or public, and may be appropriated only for use by the Architect of the Capitol for expenses associated with the acquisition, placement, and maintenance of the statues.

Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI:Illinois election officials to consider removing Trump from March primary ballot. WBEZ…

- The effort in Illinois to keep Trump off the March ballot is similar to those filed in several other states.

- The objection to Trump’s candidacy was brought by five Illinois voters, a national voting-rights organization involved in trying to keep Trump off the ballot and two Chicago law firms.

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Debate from 1866 over 14th Amendment raging anew with challenges to Trump’s place on ballot
∙ AP: Illinois election officials to weigh recommendation to remove Trump’s name from March primary ballot
∙ NYT: Illinois Hearing Officer, Ex-G.O.P. Judge, Says Trump Engaged in Insurrection

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Tribune | Despite state law to address controversy, Wheeling Township blocks taxes for new mental health program approved in referendum: “It’s just frustrating,” mental health advocate Lorri Grainawi said. “The effect is that people with mental health issues, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse are not getting the funding they need.” To honor the will of the voters, she said, the township should proceed with the new tax, or use money from its reserves to fund increased mental health services until the issue is resolved.

* NYT | As Buses of Migrants Arrive in Chicago Suburbs, Residents Debate the Role of Their Towns: In Wilmette, a town of 27,000 people where the median household income is about $183,000, dozens of residents have mobilized to help the migrants with clothing and other needs before they board trains for the so-called landing zone in downtown Chicago, where they are then routed to shelters around the city. Jessica Leving Siegel, a nonprofit marketing consultant, lugged trash bags around the Metra station one evening last week and directed fellow volunteers. Ms. Leving Siegel, who wore a messy bun and a maroon T-shirt printed with the words “We are all refugees,” has organized clothing drives and helped migrants make money by shoveling snowy sidewalks in Wilmette.

* Tribune | No help: The federal immigration deal won’t fix the migrant crisis in Chicago — and it’s unlikely to pass Congress anyway: While details of the bipartisan bill have not been made public, proposals from Republican senators center around raising the bar for migrants to claim asylum and curbing the president’s ability to grant parole — or permission to enter the United States on a temporary basis while asylum claims are reviewed by the courts. These efforts may deter the flow of migrants across borders, but there are larger factors that could keep driving immigrants to Chicago.

At 10 am Governor Pritzker will be at Google’s Chicago offices to announce next steps for Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WBEZ | The DNC is launching a neighborhood ambassadors program to recruit volunteers: The main responsibility of an ambassador will be to help recruit some of the roughly 12,000 volunteers needed for the convention. Ambassadors are expected to recruit at least 50 volunteers from their respective neighborhoods. Volunteers will be responsible for everything from assisting with media or security logistics, to meeting people at O’Hare and Midway airports to help direct them to the city.

* SJ-R | Flood stages on Sangamon River subside; rise on Illinois River still expected: “There may still be some ice on the Sangamon,” [NWS meteorologist Nicole Albano] added, “so we do need to stay vigilant for maybe some ice jam or ice activity, but with temperatures continuing to stay mild and even increasing this week, we should start to see a decrease in ice activity, at least along the Sangamon.”

* Sun-Times | Illinois home-based child care providers often make minimum wage — or less: Represented by SEIU Healthcare Illinois, the providers are currently in contract negotiations with the state over retirement benefits, training and, most importantly, pay — in the form of the state’s rates per child, which range from around $22 to $48 a day per child, depending on license status, geographic location and the child’s age.

* Chicago Reader | (Don’t) be deceived: In a shocking about-face, Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul’s office announced an agreement last month with anti-abortion advocates that the state will not enforce legislation that would have cracked down on deceptive practices by these fake abortion clinics. It was a surprising move for the attorney general, who’d helped introduce such legislation himself earlier in 2023. As a result, many Illinois abortion rights advocates say they’ll need to work even harder to protect residents seeking reproductive health care.

* Shaw Local | Election 2024: Meet the 5 who want Lance Yednock’s seat in Illinois House: At a candidates forum Wednesday at Illinois Valley Community College, some expressed divergent views on how to alleviate the tax burden on Illinois residents. Crystal Loughran and Liz Bishop are vying for the Republican nomination, and both are political newcomers who trumpet their allegiances to constituents rather than special interests.

* Daily Herald | How much property taxes per person does it cost to run your town?: Property taxes used to fund daily operations of suburban municipalities have climbed an average of $44 per resident from 10 years ago. In at least nine suburbs, the amount of property taxes charged per resident has climbed more than $100 from a decade ago.

* Tribune | Illinois appeals courts see ‘dramatic increase’ in cases following elimination of cash bail: From Sept. 18, when the law took effect, through the end of the year, more than 1,300 pretrial appeals of detention decisions were filed in the state’s five appellate districts, an increase that comes on top of the normal caseload. In all of 2022, there were 1,981 criminal appeals filed across all five districts, according to data from the court.

* Intelligencer | ‘Enough is enough’: Feds argue against further delays in former senator McCann’s trial: McCann, a one-time gubernatorial candidate, is accused of using some of about $5 million in campaign money he oversaw for personal purchases and concealing it from donors, the state and law enforcement authorities. He originally was scheduled for trial in April 2021, two months after being indicted by a federal grand jury. Since then, scheduled trial dates have come and gone after changes in defense attorneys or because of the contention that volumes of documents and files — nearly 70,000 pages — prosecutors compiled in the case required more time to review.

* Tribune | Illinois farmers struggle to balance livelihoods with reducing agricultural runoff, a major contributor to Gulf dead zone: Nitrogen and phosphorus are flowing from the Mississippi River Basin into the Gulf of Mexico, creating an oxygen-void area along southern Louisiana and eastern Texas over 18 times larger than Chicago. Fish, shrimp and other commercial species swim farther from the coast to escape, and those that can’t move fast enough die. Fishermen must follow, spending more time and money to sail away from this “dead zone” with dicier odds of a good catch.

* Sun-Times | Chicago restaurants struggled with labor shortages last year. Relief is coming slowly: A new report says city eateries had trouble finding workers last summer, with 82% of them short at least one kitchen staffer. Local owners say things have started to improve, but food and labor costs are still a concern.

* Tribune | Man who conspired with sister in infamous 1993 ‘black widow’ murder case released from prison: Suh had been serving an 80-year sentence for the Sept. 25, 1993, murder of his sister’s boyfriend, Robert O’Dubaine, in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Suh has long admitted he pulled the trigger in the premeditated, ambush-style killing. But, in repeated clemency requests, he argued his remorse and efforts to better himself have earned him a measure of mercy.

* Pantagraph | One year in, Budzinski remains ‘optimist’ while touting wins for 13th District: The freshman lawmaker introduced 15 bills and co-sponsored nearly 300 more during her first year. She touts the closing of more than 700 constituent cases, which often include helping people navigate federal agencies and resolve issues with benefits like Social Security, among other tasks. She has also been bringing home the bacon, claiming more than $320 million in federal dollars for projects in the district. An analysis from Roll Call last year found Budzinski to be the top Democrat in securing earmarks, which are funds directed by members of Congress towards specific projects.

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Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Jan 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Etta James will play us out…

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Be safe out there. Sun-Times…

Residents of Wilmington were warned of “life-threatening” flooding as the Kankakee River rose to dangerous levels in Will and Grundy counties Friday morning.

The National Weather Service urged people in Wilmington to move to higher ground because of flash flooding that could occur in parts of the town.

An ice jam has formed on the river from the extreme cold last week, according to weather service meteorologist Kevin Doom. When the ice jam breaks, flooding could happen quickly and without warning. […]

After rising around 3 feet in the course of an hour, the Kankakee River was recorded at 4.32 feet around 5:45 a.m. Friday. The flood level is considered 5 feet, according to the weather service.

* Rep. Maurice West filed HB4591 today…

Amends the Lobbyist Registration Act. Provides that the Secretary of State may (1) revoke or suspend for a maximum period of one year, or bar from registration for a maximum period of one year, the registration of an individual under the Act for the failure to file specified reports or to pay a specified penalty; (2) investigate the activities of any person who is or who has allegedly been engaged in lobbying and who may be in violation of the Act; and (3) require any registrant or entity registered under the Act to produce documentary evidence that is relevant or material or to give testimony that is relevant or material to an investigation. Provides that each person required to register or file a report under the Act shall maintain the records relating to the report for a period of at least 3 years. Provides that the Secretary of State may request to examine or cause to be examined the books and records of a registrant or an individual renewing his or her registration under the Act to the extent that those books and records relate to lobbying. Provides that documents and evidence produced or collected by the Secretary of State during the course of an investigation shall be exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that the Secretary of State may revoke or suspend the registration of a registrant or an individual renewing his or her registration under the Act if that individual fails to comply with a request from the Secretary of State to furnish the specified information. Makes changes in provisions concerning definitions; persons required to register; lobbyist registration and disclosure; and reports. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to make a conforming change.

* Center Square…

A Chicago state representative has called on the state to refuse to host the Democratic National Convention until the city receives federal funding for migrant care. Mayor Brandon Johnson is not on board with that idea, however. […]

“If Chicago doesn’t get federal help for its housing crisis, it should pass on hosting the DNC,” Buckner wrote in the Chicago Tribune. “I realize this is a bold and unprecedented suggestion, but our situation is also unprecedented, and we must act with that in mind.”

Johnson seemed to shoot down the idea Wednesday.

“Whether you have the DNC coming to your town or not, the DNC isn’t going to New York,” Johnson said. “They have just as much as a right to federal funds as the city that will host the DNC.”

* Background is here if you need it. Jeanne Ives’ campaign committee to put a non-binding statewide referendum about trans kids on the ballot has filed its state paperwork, and it misspells her own name…

* Press release…

Illinois anglers who chase walleye, sauger or saugeye are invited to participate in the virtual Midwest Walleye Challenge in 2024. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has teamed up with other states, provinces, and developers and researchers at Anglers Atlas to launch this year’s competition.

Information gathered through the competition will assist Illinois in providing anglers with important data and add to biologists’ knowledge of various waterbodies.

“Competitions like this are incredibly valuable to our understanding of the Illinois fishery,” said Kevin Irons, assistant chief of the IDNR fisheries division. “And not to worry, anglers - we’ll never know the exact location of your favorite secret fishing spot. Our biologists will only see information about the water body.”

The Midwest Walleye Challenge uses the mobile app MyCatch to record the length of each fish caught. Anglers take a picture of the fish on a measuring device using the app, and once the fish is reviewed by the catch team and meets the rules, it appears on a live leaderboard where anglers can see who is in the lead.

Anglers can go online to view the rules and sign up to participate.

* Here’s the rest…

WCIA | Bill would limit eminent domain power for CO2 Pipeline companies:

* WTAX | Biden challenge fizzles: That’s how an Illinois State Board of Elections hearing officer summed up his reasoning for rejecting an objection fronted by Arthur Jones of Lyons. […] Hearing officer David Herman: “Let’s move on to your next argument.” Jones: “… and plunge this country into depression, sir!” Biden lawyer Kevin Morphew: “All of this is hearsay.” Jones: “It’s not hearsay! It’s facts that’s going to take place if we allow this idiot to be on the ballot!”

* Marc Poulos | Illinois, let’s re-invest in working families with a state child tax credit: If the state passes the proposed child tax credit, it would provide $300 per child to families who earn at or below the median income. Unions like ours at International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 have been fighting for Illinois families for years. And as the cost of living continues to rise, that extra bit of supplementary help from policies like the child tax credit are precisely what our membership, and parents across this state, need right now to thrive.

*SJ-R | Homicides down in Springfield for third consecutive year: The Springfield Police Department handled five cases in 2023, though there were two other homicides with Springfield addresses investigated by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputies. There was one murder-suicide in the Village of Southern View, also investigated by the sheriff’s department.

* Daily-Journal | Illinois DCFS offers post-secondary scholarships to current, former youth in care: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is accepting applications for the 2024 DCFS Scholarship Program. Through the program, a minimum of 53 academic scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year, with four awards reserved for the children of veterans and two reserved for students pursuing degrees in social work in honor of Pamela Knight and Deidre Silas, two DCFS caseworkers who succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.

* WREX | Hard Rock Casino Rockford announces potential opening date: During Labor Day weekend, the Hard Rock Casino will potentially open its doors and welcome a 101-year-old Rockford woman nicknamed “Queen Antoinette” as the first visitor to walk into the building. As of January 26, the casino remains under construction, but is on track to open for the holiday weekend.

* Block Club | South Side Food Desert Still Waiting On Grocery Store After Developers Snagged $5 Million City Grant: City officials approved nearly $5 million in community development grants last year for Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana to build a store at 13016 S. Rhodes Ave. The site is located near the Altgeld Gardens public housing development, which — along with the broader Riverdale community area — has not had a grocery store since the Rosebud Farm Stand closed in 2018.

* Block Club | How Many People Experience Homelessness In Chicago? Annual Count Aims To Boost Services: A total of 6,139 residents experiencing homelessness were counted in 2023 — 5,149 of them living in homeless shelters and 990 either on the street or “other locations not meant for human habitation,” according to city data. Of last year’s population, the city counted 2,196 asylum seekers. Sixty-nine percent of the non-asylum seekers counted in 2023 were Black and 62 percent identified as male.

* Triibe | Is the Johnson Administration listening to gender-based violence support groups? : With City Council’s approval of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2024 budget in November 2023, the CPD received a nearly $90 million increase for salary increases, to hire more detectives and add 400 new civilian positions, including 44 crime victim advocates and domestic violence advocates as part of an expansion of its Crime Victim Service Unit. However, gender-based violence advocates pleaded with Johnson’s administration and Chicago City Council members to amend the budget and redistribute those dollars to community-based organizations that are already working with survivors and victims and connecting them to resources and services.

* Crain’s | Apartments near Bally’s casino site sold for $42 million: Mondial was one of more than a dozen multifamily buildings in and near downtown Chicago that hit the market last year. But high interest rates have made it difficult to put together a deal, and many of those properties didn’t trade. Those that did felt the impact of the cooling investment climate on values: North Water Apartments in Streeterville sold at a 28% loss in June, and the developers of Lake & Wells in River North took about a 20% hit in that building’s sale in April.

* WBEZ | Don’t take away dollar stores without ‘backup plan,’ community members say: In a statement to WBEZ, a spokesperson for Dollar Tree Inc. said neighborhood “small-box” stores provide household goods at affordable prices. “As many ‘big box’ and full-service grocery retailers have exited Chicago neighborhoods in recent months, a moratorium or overreaching restrictions on new retail that fill a critical void in these neighborhoods are not the solution to the problems the ordinance seeks to solve,” the statement said.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago Board of Education renews contracts for 49 charter schools: The board extended contracts for all of the schools up for renewal. It renewed most of the contracts by either three or four years, starting this July. The maximum extension allowed under state law is 10 years. Each renewal came with a set of conditions, ranging from monitoring services for students with disabilities and students learning English as a new language to improving facilities, financial compliance, and accuracy of teacher licenses. Those conditions were a result of “issues that were identified during our comprehensive review,” said Zabrina Evans, executive director of the district’s Office of Innovation and Incubation in the Office of Portfolio Management.

* Block Club | Mining On The Southeast Side? As Alderman Pushes To Overturn City Ban, Environmentalists Fight Back: Representatives from Southeast Side community groups criticized an ordinance from alds. Peter Chico (10th) and Gilbert Villegas (36th) to change city zoning law to allow mining in certain areas. The legislation was introduced into City Council on Wednesday. Organizers believe it could be an avenue to help the Invert project, a years-old endeavor from cement company Ozinga to build a 6-million-square-foot underground mining warehouse on a former steel site near 112th Street and the Calumet River.

* SJ-R | Longtime Sangamon County Board member George Preckwinkle resigns: Preckwinkle, who splits time between Springfield and his home in Florida, owns 13 central Illinois Ace Hardware stores with his sister, Lucy Stafford of Pleasant Plains. The decision to step down was bittersweet, he said. “I’m elected to serve the people and my business and personal schedules have just gotten to where I can’t hardly do my role as a county board member,” said Preckwinkle, reached by phone Thursday. “It was a challenge last year and it’s just off the charts this year.

* WBEZ | In Chicago, a new music series is a ‘turning point’ for sober musicians and audiences: As a bassist, Matt Ciarleglio had played in bars all his life — which was good for his growth as a musician. But as someone struggling with addiction, playing in bars created challenges that could derail his life. “I had been struggling with substance abuse in some form or another most of my adult life,” he said. Last year, it dawned on him: “Why?”

* Columbia Journalism Review | The Death of the Washington Bureau: This worsens polarization. Without local coverage, the only times most Americans hear about their representatives is from campaign ads or when they’re on national news talking about partisan issues. That makes it harder for politicians who break with their party to get something done to survive politically—and it makes it harder for issues of local importance that might have crossover appeal to gain any traction. If the only way to gain attention (and raise money) is to talk about national issues on Fox News or MSNBC, why bother taking a political risk to cross the aisle and try to solve problems that actually matter to your district?

* Tribune | ‘He was such a sweet soul.’ A community grieves the loss of its neighbor Pete, who lived quietly in a big, orange tent: He had a kind heart and a wry sense of humor. (He placed a FOR RENT sign outside his tent.) He was quick to lend a hand, and he made friends easily. He was known, in part, for carrying around a stuffed Alf — furry star of the briefly, wildly popular ‘80s sitcom.

* Sun-Times | Wildfire smoke like what Chicago now gets worsens indoor air quality in long-term care facilities, research finds: Affected residents include seniors in long-term care facilities, many of them at-risk for smoke exposure because of respiratory or cardiac diseases. “An astonishing amount of smoke gets inside these facilities,” said Luke Montrose, an environmental toxicologist and researcher at Colorado State University.

Greater Chicago Food Depository tries to set the record straight (Updated)

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* City of Chicago…

Today, the City of Chicago and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) are announcing the conclusion of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find a new food service provider for city-run shelters for New Arrivals. DFSS is pleased to announce that two local agencies, Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish, were selected.

Seventy-Seven Communities will serve as the food provider for shelters in the North Region of Chicago and 14 Parish will serve as the food provider for the New Arrivals shelters in the South Region.

* Block Club Chicago…

Seventy-Seven Communities is a suburban-based company created in October, according to state filings. It’s run by leaders at the popular and rapidly expanding Italian beef franchise Buona Beef as well as its sister company, Beyond Catering.

Seventy-Seven Communities’ executive director is listed as Joe Buonavolanto Jr., one of the sons of Buona Beef’s founders and an owner of Buona Beef, LLC, according to state filings. Mike Iovinelli, program director of Seventy-Seven Communities, is also listed as vice president of catering at Beyond Catering — whose parent company is Buona Beef.

The city’s press release did not mention Buona Beef or Beyond Catering. Officials said Seventy-Seven Communities had “decades” of experience in food service, even though records show the company has only existed for four months. It does not appear to have a website.

* Back to the city’s press release…

The goals of this RFP were to increase food quality for all New Arrivals shelters and to decrease the cost of the Meals Program for the City. Both Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish have demonstrated that they can provide high quality and culturally congruent meal service to all shelters for $15-$17 per person per day. This is a significant decrease from the $21-$23 the City has been spending on food per person per day prior to this contract. Additionally, both agencies have demonstrated that they have many partnerships with local and minority-owned restaurants, including local Venezuelan restaurants, who will be assisting in creating menus and preparing food that fit both the nutritious and cultural needs of shelter residents.

* NBC 5…

Through these new vendors, the city of Chicago reported that the new direction in food servicing is proving to be cost efficient. The new price the city will pay for providing to the shelters is $15-17 per person. Prior to the new contract the price per person was $21-$23 with Greater Chicago Food Depository and Open Kitchens.

* The Greater Chicago Food Depository was the previous vendor. I reached out for comment today. A spokesperson noted that 1) The state government and private donors, not the city, paid for the meals; 2) Because of the private donations, the actual costs were well below the price claimed by the city; and 3) It was working with 17 minority-owned food businesses…

The Food Depository has never received any funding from the City of Chicago for our work over the last 8 months to provide food for new arrivals at their shelters, so the implication that we produced meals at a rate of $21-$23/person using City funding is wholly inaccurate.

The Food Depository’s work to provide meals at new arrival shelters was supported by private donors and funding from the State of Illinois. This detail is important for us to clarify as we have a responsibility to our donors and the state who gave generously to support this important work to know that their contributions were utilized responsibly.

Our price per meal was far more efficient than what is quoted in the City’s release and every dollar we spent on new arrival meals went toward food costs, with $17 million invested in local restaurants and caterers who partnered with us in this work. We essentially paid 17 minority-owned food businesses to prepare and deliver the meals as a way of supporting food vendors in historically disinvested communities.

…Adding… The city says its dig was at a different vendor, not at the Food Depository. NBC 5 reported this week that the Food Depository was one of the two vendors.

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Asylum-seekers coverage roundup

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* There is no recall law in Illinois, but Newsweek fell for the hype from a candidate who has not yet disclosed any campaign contributions and is likely to get clobbered by Rep. Kimberly Neely du Buclet in the primary…

Democrat Demands Recall of Chicago Mayor as Migrant Crisis Explodes

Illinois House of Representatives candidate Andre Smith has demanded a recall of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday amid an influx of migrants in the city.

“Our mayor has no plan now; he’s having panic attacks. We need to actually recall the mayor,” Smith, a Democrat and the founder of the Chicago Against Violence organization, said on Fox & Friends. “It’s a disaster, and it all falls on the mayor, Brandon Johnson; that’s why I’m pushing strongly that we repeal the mayor.”

Smith recently told Fox News he was arrested last year for standing in front of a bus carrying migrants.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Smith was paid $17,250 by the Paul Vallas campaign.

* Here’s the Tribune on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s demand that the state put new asylum-seeker shelters in other towns…

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Thursday she was “not privy” to any of the back-and-forth between Johnson and Pritzker this week, and has “no idea about the interests or intentions or willingness of mayors in suburban Cook County to help meet this challenge.”

The county has previously acknowledged it was “very closely coordinating with the city to at least identify locations for housing” in the city and in suburban Cook. But when she previously asked suburban mayors to step up, Preckwinkle said Thursday “those conversations didn’t result in offers of assistance.”

* On to the letter from alderpersons. Quinn Myers at Block Club Chicago…

A group of alderpeople are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration to rescind a 60-day stay limit at city shelters housing migrants.

The first evictions under that policy are scheduled for Feb. 1, after having been pushed back twice in January during dangerously cold temperatures. About 1,900 people could be evicted from shelters on that date, with another 961 facing eviction Feb. 2, according to city data provided to Block Club last week.

On Thursday, 16 alderpeople signed onto a letter urging Johnson to eliminate the deadlines and improve conditions at the almost 30 city-run shelters housing migrants.

The eviction policy poses a “significant threat to the health and safety of new arrivals” who are “relying on shelters for their continued safety,” according to the letter.

The letter is here (scroll down).

* Jim Daley at the South Side Weekly…

Volunteers who spoke to the Weekly Thursday said they supported the letter and hoped it would lead to better conditions for migrants and improved transparency around shelter conditions. Johnson’s administration relied on volunteers to assist in providing food, clothing and other amenities to asylum seekers while they were staying at police stations, but volunteers say they have been prevented from accessing city-run shelters since then.

“I’m hoping to see improved conditions [at shelters], especially regarding scams and safety,” said SouthWest Collective member Jaime Groth Searle. Shelter eviction notices “make people get desperate and forego personal safety in search of a job or apartment. Clearly we need federal funding, but in the interim, official communication needs to improve.”

Rousemary Vega, an organizer with Grassroots Voices for Chicago, said there is “no transparency” from the city about conditions at the shelters, adding that volunteers have been prevented from accessing the shelters. “They’re limiting mutual aid volunteers from just doing the work, because they don’t want a stain on the [shelters’] image, because they don’t want the word to get out.They’re not allowing the help and resources, so I think it’s time for allies to call upon the mayor and hold him accountable.”

* Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel at WBEZ…

Johnson has pushed back the eviction deadline twice since announcing the policy in November. It was first set to be enforced on Jan. 16, but was pushed back to Jan. 22 amid a cold snap that saw sub-zero temperatures. The current deadline is now Feb. 1, when nearly 2,000 migrants are required to leave city shelters and request a new spot if they haven’t found housing.

“Some of the new arrivals are confused, because they’ve gotten eviction notices, but the dates keep moving,” said Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th Ward, who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

“We believe a 60-day policy isn’t the way to go forward, that it actually leads to potentially more homelessness in the city. And we do need the state to step up and do its part, but we can’t have people on…the streets in the winter, ultimately living in viaducts, in tents in parks and on the streets.” […]

“It’s not about being for or against the mayor,” Vasquez said. “There’s a recognition of the reality of the situation more than the ideology of it.”

* Michael Loria at the Sun-Times…

Carrying out the evictions will reinforce the kind of desperate mindset volunteers such as Jaime Groth Searle have been trying to help calm.

“They’re not in a headspace to think about safety, they’re thinking about where am I going to get my next meal, keep my kids warm, get my next $50,” Groth Searle said. “We’re trying to get them out of survival mode and get back to going to school, seeing a doctor — those normal things people do.”

Groth Searle volunteers outside the Pilsen shelter and said without more robust case work, many migrants are panicking as they near the end of their stay and don’t know what to do.

Lots more in that one, so read the rest.

* From Mayor Johnson’s response…

We continue to evaluate the 60-day policy and will provide updates as the situation develops. Our plan remains providing dignified care and basic support services for asylum seekers to aid them on the aforementioned path to self-sufficiency and independence, while also being fiscally responsible and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities to the people of the City of Chicago.

They’ll provide the shelter and basic care until April, but then what? Nobody has yet come up with an answer.

* More…

Block Club | Buona Beef-Connected Group Gets $45 Million Contract For Migrant Shelter Meals:

* ABC Chicago | Chicago property owner opens vacant buildings to house nearly 500 asylum seekers: Chris Amatore, a property manager and real estate investor, is providing beds and food, and paying for it all himself. Food was delivered Thursday to the families staying in a South Shore building. In recent days, 57 Venezuelans moved in to the building on South Essex, according to Amatore, who said he owns the building.

6 Comments

Question of the day

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WCIA meteorologist on an armadillo sighting near Danville…

* The Question: Name?

30 Comments

Getting into the weeds of an outdated report

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This article from Capitol News Illinois stirred up some controversy…

State law currently says that by the 2025 delivery year, one-quarter of electricity purchased by the state must come from renewable sources. Goals laid out in CEJA are even more ambitious, requiring the state’s energy production to be carbon-free by 2045.

But the Illinois Power Agency – which handles energy procurement for the state’s utilities – reports that the state is lagging far behind its goals. In its current long-term plan for renewable purchasing, which was published in May, the agency projected that by the 2025 delivery year, only 8.1 percent of electricity will come from sources that qualify as renewable under state law.

“Achieving these goals would require a substantial increase in new renewable energy generation,” according to the agency’s report.

The federal Energy Information Administration, which uses a slightly different method to calculate its figures, reports that 15.4 percent of Illinois’ electricity generation came from renewables in October. That lags the state’s statutory goal for this year of 22 percent and behind the nation’s average renewable electricity generation of 22.3 percent.

* The governor’s spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh, tweeted in response, “IL isn’t behind in our energy goals and I wouldn’t use a report from May of last year to make that point. … Carbon-free is different than renewable energy and IL will rely heavily on nuclear to reach our carbon-free goals.”

Carbon-free is hugely important in the mix because the state gets more than half of its electrical power from nuclear plants.

* Since numbers from the Illinois Power Agency were used in the news story, I reached out to the agency to get their perspective…

Hi Rich,

We were not contacted by CNI on this story, so we can’t speak authoritatively on from where CNI pulled this information. It’s possible that the “May report” in the article refers to the Modified 2022 Long-Term Renewables Procurement Plan, but RPS [Renewable Portfolio Standards] goal/target data contained is indeed approximately two years outdated (as that Plan was originally filed with the ICC in January 2022). So, assuming that CNI used this document to inform its article, the Governor’s Office is correct that this information is outdated.

To the broader question, our 2022 Annual Report includes data on the overall nameplate capacity amount of installed renewable energy generation physically located in Illinois. The 2022 Annual Report shows the total installed percentage of renewable capacity at 18.6%, with the percentage of megawatt hours from renewables at 12.4%. These are percentages out of all electricity generation in Illinois, as opposed to all electricity consumed in Illinois—if the latter were used as the denominator, then these percentages would be higher [about 17 percent, as it turns out], as Illinois is a net exporter of electricity.

The Agency’s next annual report is due out on February 15 and will be published on the IPA’s website. I will make sure we send you a copy of the report when it’s published.

Setting aside the issue of outdated data, conflating RPS progress with overall share of electricity from renewables statewide is a common area of misunderstanding—people often reference the former while meaning the latter. To address this concern, CEJA (through changes to Section 1-125 of the IPA Act) now requires the IPA to report on items including “the percentage of installed and scheduled renewable energy generation capacity as a share of overall electricity generation capacity physically located in Illinois” through its annual report. We’d be happy to follow up with our latest copy of that report when it becomes available.

…Adding… CNI has now corrected its story.

7 Comments

Report: White Sox likely want to empower the ISFA to extend bonds or issue new bonds

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s has a story about Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter’s support of a new White Sox ballpark in the South Loop…

The Sox organization may be trying to whip up as much support as it can before it meets with Pritzker and has to answer the biggest remaining question about the stadium proposal: Who would pay for it?

Reiter would say only that he was told “no new taxes built in . . . and right now that property isn’t generating nearly the amount of revenue as it would if it were fully developed.”

Sources familiar with what the team is planning, but who say they are not free to speak about the deal, have told Crain’s that the White Sox are likely to ask state legislators to empower the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to either extend or issue new bonds backed by the existing 2% hotel occupancy tax currently used to satisfy the bonds issued to pay for Guaranteed Rate Field.

While that would not raise a new tax, because the hotel occupancy tax is already in place, state legislators may still turn up their noses at extending or issuing new bonds, or providing any public dollars to help build a stadium for a team whose value is measured in billions.

Thoughts?

…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter, this is from the Bond Buyer last fall…

The ISFA owns, operates and issued $150 million of bonds in 1989 for Guaranteed Rate Field where the White Sox play, and issued $400 million of 2001 bonds that financed the renovation of the Chicago Park District-owned Soldier Field, home of the Bears. About $416 million of debt is outstanding, nearly all of it for the 2003 Soldier Field renovation.

39 Comments

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. Anne Stava-Murray filed HB4585…

Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, the Illinois State Police Act, the Counties Code, and the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a law enforcement officer may not be required to arrest a specific number of persons within a designated period of time.

* HB4579 from Rep. Camille Lilly…

Creates the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact Act. Provides that the State of Illinois ratifies and approves the Compact. Provides that the purposes of the Compact are to facilitate the interstate practice of dentistry and dental hygiene and improve public access to dentistry and dental hygiene services by providing dentists and dental hygienists licensed in a participating state the ability to practice in participating states in which they are not licensed. Includes provisions about state participation in the Compact; qualifying licenses that are eligible for Compact privilege, including active military members or their spouses; imposition of adverse actions against a qualified license; establishment and operation of the Commission, including each participating state selecting one commissioner to the Commission; development, maintenance, operation, and utilization of a coordinated database and reporting system containing licensure; rulemaking powers of the Commission; oversight, dispute resolution, and enforcement of the Compact; effective date of and amendment to the Compact; withdrawal from the Compact by a participating state; construction and severability; and effect on and conflict with other state laws.

* Book Riot…

Introduced into the Illinois House January 23 by Representative Anne Stava-Murray and cosponsored by Representative Diane Blair-Sherlock, HB 4567 aims to protect library workers throughout the state from harassment, threats, and disorderly conduct. The bill comes in the new legislative session after the state passed the nation’s first anti-book ban bill last year and dealt with several bomb threats in the months following that bill’s passage. The new bill would amend the Criminal Code of 2012. […]

Where once library workers were not explicitly named among populations protected from threats, the new bill would include the profession by name. The threats would be investigated and taken seriously, whether they came in person or through electronic means, including social media.

Not only does naming library workers in the Criminal Code lend legitimacy to the profession–and it covers everyone within a library from professional librarians to shelvers, custodians, and others–it codifies the importance of libraries to democracy in the state. Protections would extend beyond public library workers, too. It also covers those working for private libraries.

Stava-Murray represents Illinois’s 81st district, which includes Downers Grove, as well as parts of Lisle, Naperville, Woodridge, Darien, Westmont, and Bolingbrook. Downers Grove was among the libraries targeted by protesters and threats over a teen drag queen bingo event in fall 2022. Other public libraries in the district have been subject to similar threats and harassment. Diane Blair-Sherlock represents the 46th district, which includes all or parts of Addison, Oak Brook Terrace, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst, Villa Park, and more. Several of those libraries, including Addison, were subject tp bomb threats last fall.

* HB4584 from Rep. Stava-Murray…

Amends the School Code. Provides that any involvement by a law enforcement agency in an incident at a school or on school owned or leased property, including any conveyance owned, leased, or used by the school for the transport of students or school personnel, shall be reported monthly to the Illinois State Police by the school district superintendent or his or her designee or other appropriate administrative officer if the school is a nonpublic school. Provides that the State Board of Education shall receive an annual statistical compilation and related data associated with the reporting from the Illinois State Police. Provides that the State Board of Education shall compile this information by school and make it available to the public. Effective July 1, 2024.

* Center Square…

State Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, said her bill, Senate Bill 2668, aims to alleviate farmers’ fears that land acquisitions by foreign nations and investors may inflate farmland prices and pose a potential threat to national security.

“We can’t go get new farmland. We can’t invent more or manufacture new farmland. It is something that we need in order to feed the world,” Turner said.

Currently, 24 states have passed similar legislation to manage the risks associated with the purchase of farmland by foreign entities that may jeopardize national security.

The National Defense Authorization Act addresses the issue of foreign entities buying up farmland, Turner said. In fact, the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act became law in late 1978. The law requires foreign investors to report their purchases.

* WGEM…

A new bill aims to give teachers across Illinois at least 45 minutes of planning time each day.[…]

“We wouldn’t need a bill like this if the feedback from teachers wasn’t that they were losing their planning time,” said state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood.

She’s sponsoring the bill requiring teachers to get time to plan every day. […]

“What we’re finding is that teachers are promised planning time in their contracts but many times they’re pulled for different meetings or to sub and their planning times are being taken away, and they’re having to do those planning activities before school, after school, taking their work home,” Loughran Cappel said.

A special education teacher for 15 years, Loughran Cappel saw firsthand the importance of having time to plan. She also knows what she and her students lost when she didn’t have the time.

Harmon further explains his rejection of a stand-alone migrant appropriations bill

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Tribune earlier this month…

But even among Democrats there is some reluctance to provide further funding for the migrant crisis without addressing long-standing issues involving poverty and the unhoused in Illinois, Senate President Don Harmon said.

“After saying for generations that we don’t have enough money to deal with real and similar issues affecting people here in the state, there’s no way we could advance an appropriation bill that dealt only with the newly arrived migrants,” said Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, echoing concerns that have been raised by some members of the legislature’s Black Caucus.

“If we’re going to provide funding to deal with that crisis, we’re going to have to provide funding for crises that have existed in our communities for generations,” Harmon said. “I don’t see an appetite to solve one problem while ignoring others that have been at the forefront of people’s agendas for decades.”

* Harmon appeared on the 21st Show this week, so host Brian Mackey asked him about that quote. After criticizing the Texas governor and praising the concept of a nation of immigrants as “good for our culture,” Harmon had this to say…

I wasn’t channeling the Black Caucus in particular. Across the caucus, I think across the General Assembly, there is a discomfort in saying ‘yes.’ For generations we have told you that we do not have the resources to invest in solving seemingly intractable problems, like homelessness, like food insecurity, like workforce development. And yes, it is a humanitarian crisis foisted upon us. The volume of this crisis is different than things we’ve seen in the past.

But as a policy matter, I don’t see a way to get the votes to support a funding bill that deals only with the migrant crisis. Any response is going to need to be more holistic, it’s going to need to look for synergies between services and resources available for the migrant arrivals, that would also be available for people struggling with the same problems whose families have been here for generations. I just don’t see a way we say ‘yes’ to some and ‘no’ to others. […]

I want to emphasize that there are opportunities to invest in Illinois that can address the immediate issue, but also address long term issues.. … This is a good time for us to step back and say, what resources do we need in place in Illinois, not for this crisis, but for the next crisis, and the crisis after that, and the crisis after that, because surely they will come. Could we not invest in some safe emergency shelter that can be used for arriving migrants now, but also for Illinois residents, displaced and homeless and find a way to make this a lasting renewable resource? […]

In my best case, we find a path to give people stability, the opportunity to earn a living. And we build the infrastructure not only for the migrants, but also for everyone else who are in need of similar services, and that becomes a durable framework that lasts for decades.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

There’s more, so listen to the rest if you have the time.

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

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

11 Comments

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Ethnicity, experience take center stage in first faceoff of Illinois Supreme Court candidates. Tribune…

- Reyes argued that ethnicity is important in the race because no Latino has ever sat on the state’s highest court.

- Both candidates spoke repeatedly of the role Illinois government has played in protecting access to abortion and other reproductive health services

* Isabel’s top picks…

Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s job performance rated fair to poor by majority of Chicago voters, new poll finds:

* AP | What you should know if you’re about to fly on a Boeing 737 Max 9: Alaska Airlines plans to resume flights with its Max 9s on Friday, and United aims to follow suit on Sunday. Those are the only two U.S. airlines that operate this particular model of the Boeing 737.

* 21st Show | Illinois Senate President talks about migrants, education, and economic priorities in 2024: President of the Illinois Senate, Don Harmon speaks to us about the work being done in the General Assembly this year. Issues for lawmakers range from how to balance the state budget, to how to respond to the influx of migrants.

* Campaign news…

* Thoughts?…

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* News-Sun | Despite likely presidential election rematch, Lake County political leaders focused on local races; ‘We’re excited to take on the challenge’
: In addition to working to elect more Democrats, the Lake County Democratic Party wants to retain positions currently held by party members, according to Lauren Beth Gash, chair of the local party chapter. Gash said the local party has been slowly changing the political makeup of local elected bodies and individuals, moving the county from mostly red to purple, or even solid blue in some regions of the county.

* News-Gazette | Faraci and Marron to discuss working across the aisle: Faraci and Marron, who is now president/CEO of Vermilion Advantage, will discuss how they were able to work across the aisle, how qualified local citizens might be encouraged to run for office and how individuals and organizations can support these efforts. The LWVCC hopes to reach people who are frustrated by trends of increased polarization and perceived decline in political candidate quality.

* Tribune | Aldermen sign letter urging Johnson to scrap 60-day migrant shelter policy: Their protest comes on the heels of a bloc of 27 aldermen signing on to co-sponsor legislation from Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, to add more City Council oversight to how federal stimulus dollars are used in the wake of the Johnson administration allocating $95 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to cover the costs of the migrant mission.

* Sun-Times | CPS renews contracts for charter schools — with shorter terms: After long discussions and public comments, the board voted to approve all the schools for terms between one and four years. Most received three or four years with conditions like pledging not to suspend students, shoring up their offerings for students who are learning English or rectifying problems with services to students in special education.

* Sun-Times | In crooked Bridgeport bank failure case, City Hall insider under 3 mayors faces a reckoning: Mahon was in his early 30s when, according to court testimony and the findings of a City Hall investigation, he helped rig test scores so politically connected job candidates could land city jobs or promotions — a violation of a federal court order known as the Shakman decree. A federal investigation of city hiring and promotions ended up rocking City Hall, with Daley’s patronage chief going to prison. Mahon wasn’t charged. He ended up facing disciplinary action, though the punishment for his role in the scandal didn’t come until years later.

* Tribune | After suburban pushback, Cook County leaders propose exempting parks, school districts from paid leave requirements: Shortly before the holidays, the Cook County Board passed its own expanded version of the state’s paid leave law. That new state law, which took effect Jan. 1 across Illinois for employees of businesses of any size, gave workers the right to accrue an hour of time off per 40 hours worked and use it for any reason, not just illness. The county’s rules went slightly beyond the state’s law to make it apply to airlines and government bodies. The county ordinance also allowed workers to sue their employers for violations.

* WJOL | Will County Emergency Management Agency Issues Update on Flash Flooding in Wilmington: Evacuations Begin: Will County EMA issued a mass notification message to residents, advising them of the rising water levels and the need to evacuate. Water rescue teams were deployed, and 14 individuals were successfully evacuated to a temporary shelter opened by Wilmington ESDA.

* WTTW | 211 Helpline Connects Cook County Residents to Health and Social Services: ‘It’s Those Everyday Emergencies’: 211 Metro Chicago is a free 24-hour helpline that serves Chicago and the suburban Cook County area. It’s essentially a referral service with an extensive database of organizations and businesses. “Housing is the biggest one, according to our data; others are access to food,” Garcia said. “When someone calls, we right away ask for their ZIP code, where you are located. From there we can say, ‘I don’t know if you have a car, or a bus card, but there is a food pantry two blocks from your home.’”

* Sun-Times | Young brains at risk under poorly funded effort to remove dangerous lead water pipes from child care centers: That city program aims to replace more than 100 lead pipes from day cares a year, putting the completion at well over a decade. Considering the vulnerability of the children — most of them living on the South Side and West Side — the timeline to replace the lead fixtures is unacceptably long, advocates for children say.

* Crainn’s | Boeing’s woes put the squeeze on United: “We are not canceling the order,” Kirby told analysts this week when United reported earnings. “We are taking it out of our internal plans. And — so we’re taking it out of our internal plans, and we’ll be working on what that means exactly with Boeing. But Boeing is not going to be able to meet their contractual deliveries on at least many of those airplanes. And I’ll just leave it at that.”

* Crain’s | Chief of powerful union group throws support behind Sox stadium plan: Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, says the “project is very exciting for the city.” “Not just for White Sox fans like me,” he told Crain’s on Jan. 25. “It means a lot of jobs, it means a great asset for the city to market to visitors. Not just the stadium, but also the other amenities that will be built out in the neighborhood and the way it would provide connectivity from the Near South Side by Chinatown up into the Loop.”

* WSJ | Inside the $800,000 Experiment to Turn a Frank Lloyd Wright Into a Net-Zero Energy Home: “I was not planning to buy a Frank Lloyd Wright house,” says Samantha Lotti, who grew up in a Manhattan apartment, studied at the University of Chicago, and then spent five postcollege years running her family’s farm in Tuscany. So in 2016, when she heard that the Oscar B. Balch House, one of more than two dozen Wright buildings in Oak Park, Ill., was for sale, she was only vaguely interested. But she did go look. And when she entered the main living space of the 1911 prairie-style house, which is named for its first owner, she says, “I fell in love.” Among the things that moved her were the size of the windows and the proportions of the rooms. The ceilings are low, “almost compressive,” she says, “which is intended to force you to engage with what’s outside the house. And, thanks to the windows, you feel like you’re outside when you’re inside.”

* 21st Show | Building a better democracy: A new book looks at the effects of a 1990 Illinois Primary: Patrick Wohl explains how an Illinois Statehouse campaign from 1990, which pit two Republican women against each other became the harbinger of future divisions within the GOP.

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Live coverage

Friday, Jan 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can also click here or here to follow breaking news…

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Here we go again

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ABC 7…

The girlfriend of a Joliet area murder suspect looked distraught and emotional as she appeared in court Thursday morning.

Joliet police said 21-year-old Kyleigh Cleveland-Singleton made statements in an attempt to stop police from arresting her boyfriend, Romeo Nance, before he was found dead in Texas.

Cleveland-Singleton was taken to the Will County Jail, as she’s charged with obstructing justice. […]

A Will County judge said Thursday the SAFE-T act forced the court to release her from custody.

Police said Cleveland-Singleton lied to them on Monday by saying she didn’t have Nance’s phone number.

* From the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice…

Cleveland-Singleton has not been accused of any violence, her offense is the lowest class of felony, and she is caring for a three year-old son who just lost numerous members of his family to violence.

Importantly, the old money bond system also did not allow judges to deny someone release for obstruction of justice, a non-violent Class 4 felony. Before the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect, Ms. Cleveland-Singleton would have been ordered released — either with or without payment of a money bond. The court now retains the power to set numerous conditions of release that do not involve paying money. And though Ms. Cleveland-Singleton was ordered released today, she must remain on electronic monitoring. Moving forward, should Ms. Cleveland-Singleton violate the conditions of her pretrial release, the court has the power to take her into custody.

All emphasis added.

…Adding… From comments…

It’s almost like the entire Will County legal system needs to take a remedial class.

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune…

When the Illinois Commerce Commission rejected an emergency motion by Peoples Gas to restore $134 million of disallowed pipeline replacement funding for 2024, the work ground to halt while the state prepared to conduct a new investigation into the long-running program.

That has resulted in dozens of unfinished projects across the city and hundreds of layoffs by contractors scheduled to work on the pipeline replacement program this year, the utility said. It also meant a smaller than requested rate increase for residential gas customers in Chicago of about $8.20 per month, which began in January, according to the utility.

But as Peoples covered holes in the ground for projects that were put on hold, it also convinced the ICC earlier this month to give the utility another shot with a “limited scope” rate request rehearing to fund completion of the unfinished work.

Testimony will begin next month and by May the ICC is expected to rule on whether Peoples can finish the work that was already underway — and pass the additional costs along to customers.

* Hannah Billingsley, who is running against Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia), revealed on Facebook that she consulted an AI app before appearing on a radio program…

Starting 2024 doing NEW things! ⭐️

I asked ChatGPT how to nail my first radio interview. Essentially, “Be yourself and be lighthearted.” Of course, I interpreted that as ‘Roast Verlon about his age and his music choices.’ That was fun. Thanks, ChatGPT. And thanks, Verlon, for being a good ol’ sport (pun intended).

* Politico…

— Congressman Darin LaHood has endorsed Tim Yager in his bid to represent the state Senate’s 37th District. Yager, a Republican, is a farmer, Henry County Board member and Henry County Farm Bureau Board member. The 37th is currently represented by Republican state Sen. Win Stoller, who isn’t seeking reelection.

— Congressman Danny Davis (IL-07) has been endorsed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and county commissioners Dennis Deer, Donna Miller, Bill Lowry, Tara Stamps and Stanley Moore.

— Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in his reelection bid.

* Press release…

Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eight metropolitan areas, decreased in five and was unchanged in one for the year ending December 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one.

“We are pleased to see continued positive economic trends across Illinois,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “IDES remains committed to sustaining a viable workforce ecosystem in which jobseekers and employers remain engaged and connected.”

The metro areas that had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+1.8%, +500) and the Springfield MSA (+1.7%, +1,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro were up +0.8% or +31,600. The metro areas with the largest over-the-year percentage decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Kankakee MSA (-1.6%, -700) and the Decatur MSA (-1.4%, -700). Peoria MSA saw no change in total nonfarm jobs. The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Leisure and Hospitality and Government (ten areas each); Mining and Construction (nine areas); and Other Services (eight areas).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Rockford MSA (+1.3 points to 5.9%), the Decatur MSA (+1.2 points to 5.7%), and the Kankakee MSA (+1.2 points to 5.9%). The unemployment rate fell in the Chicago Metro (-0.3 point to 3.9%).

* Here’s the rest…

* Tribune | Cash from Chicago City Hall insiders helped mother of Johnson’s top aide in her run for Houston mayor: Jackson Lee would go on to get a financial boost in her Texas campaign from Chicago City Hall insiders, bringing in more than $51,500 from city contractors, lobbyists and politicians between that August fundraiser and her loss in the December runoff, a Tribune analysis found. In total, her mayoral campaign raised $77,600 from donors with Illinois addresses.

* SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers, Giannoulias advocate for ‘Skittle law’ banning food additives: The legislation called the Illinois Food Safety Act and known colloquially as the “Skittle law,” is modeled after a California law passed in October and follows a ban in the European Union. If passed, it would go into effect in 2027. The law would also impose a civil penalty of $5,000 for first-time violators and fines not exceeding $10,000 for each subsequent infringement.

* Sun-Times | Girlfriend of Joliet mass murder suspect Romeo Nance held on home confinement in obstruction of justice case: The 21-year-old girlfriend of Joliet mass murder suspect Romeo Nance appeared in a Will County courthouse Thursday accused of giving false information to police when she claimed she didn’t know his phone number, officials said.

* WCIA | Ford Co. proposes non-sanctuary status, cites limited resources: “We’re talking about human beings here,” [Chairwoman Ann Ihrke] said. “And if they were to come here and be injured or not be doing well, then that’s not good. And it’s not good for the people that live here either, because they need the limited resources that we have.” Ihrke said nobody from the state has reached out to the county about help with migrant issues. The Zoning Committee will be fine-tuning the draft in the next couple of weeks.

* NBC Chicago | Northwestern’s handling of allegedly antisemitic incidents under investigation by US Department of Education: The complaint was filed by Zachary Marschall, the editor in chief of Campus Reform, a conservative website, over the university’s response to allegedly antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7. According to a letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the complaint alleges that Northwestern “discriminated against students on the basis of national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) by failing to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment in October, November and December.”

* WCIA | EIU officials optimistic despite slight enrollment decrease for spring 2024: According to officials, 8,688 total students are enrolled at EIU for Spring 2024 which is a 0.7% decrease from the Spring 2023 semester. […] Officials are touting improvements in several smaller subsections of the student population, including a 4% increase in international students, a 5.6% increase in high-school dual credit students, as well as a 2.1% average combined increase in fall-to-spring retention for both first-year and transfer students.

* Tribune | Brighton Park residents say city still has no clear plan to protect them from lead, other toxins identified in environmental report: “The city knows that there’s lead in the water, and they’re allowing these residents just to continue to drink it when there are steps we can take until we replace the water lines,” said Richard Zupkus, a licensed sewer specialist who lives directly behind the contaminated lot on 38th Street.

* WGN | Chemistry student busted for operating meth lab on Illinois college campus: A probable cause statement reads, “SIUE Police confirmed that the only person to make electronic access to the Science West Building between 11/22/23 and 11/27/23, and had a key to room 3000 (besides the reporting professor) was Jeremy Smalling.” Smalling, 45, was a graduate research assistant at the time. He’s listed as winning the 2018 award for physical chemistry at the university.

* Tribune | ‘Chillinois.’ ‘Taylor Drift.’ These are the finalists in the city’s snowplow naming contest.: The participants who submitted the winning names will be offered a photo opportunity beside their named plow and city swag. Chicago isn’t the only city dubbing its winter vehicles. Park Ridge announced the names of its snowplow fleet in November — including “Han Snolo” and “Sir Plows a Lot.”

* Sun-Times | White Sox hiring ESPN’s John Schriffen as new TV voice: Schriffen, 39, was among three finalists for the job, with Red Sox radio voice Will Flemming and ESPN 1000’s Connor McKnight. Schriffen, who is biracial, becomes the second Black TV play-by-play announcer in MLB, joining the Mariners’ Dave Sims. On a Zoom call with reporters, Schriffen said he doesn’t know the exact number of games he’ll broadcast, but he intends to call a vast majority.

* The Southern | Artspace 304 is hosting an exhibit of art related to a total solar eclipse: The show, PASSING into SHADOW, will be on display up and through April 8, 2024, when the real thing, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will sweep over the country and pass through Carbondale. SIU Professors Antonio Martinez and Bob Baer created a 3-dimensional work of art and science project through the generous support of Simons Foundation, a foundation which champions science through grants and gifts, bringing scientific knowledge and awareness to culture through programs like the Artspace 308 eclipse exhibit.

12 Comments

CTU promising fight over upcoming state education budget

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sun-Times…

Illinois education officials are proposing an increase of $350 million in funding for local school districts next year, an amount that falls short of expectations and deals an initial blow to Chicago Public Schools’ efforts to address an impending budget crisis. […]

The law required officials to drastically increase education spending to fully fund all school districts by 2027. But since then, the state has been increasing that funding by only $350 million annually, an amount far below what’s needed to meet the deadline. Some had hoped that number would rise closer to $550 million this year. Projections estimate it’ll take until at least 2034 to fully fund the school districts with the most need at the current rate. […]

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said the need for more funding is even greater with a growing share of unhoused children and immigrant students who need language support.

“Good luck with the state making that case to Chicago legislators” that $350 million is enough, Davis Gates said.

“This idea that they are going to get out of this session without acknowledging the obvious about Chicago, I think that’s ridiculous,” she said.

As you know, Illinois is facing a projected deficit next fiscal year of $891 million.

20 Comments

Mayor Johnson: ‘The state does not have to build a shelter in Chicago’

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Alice Yin at the Tribune…

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ongoing calls for Gov. J.B. Pritzker to build more migrant shelters took a new turn Wednesday as he indicated additional sites should be located outside Chicago, even with state funding. […]

Pritzker on Monday said the Johnson administration had not told the state “where they would like us to put our resources” to build new shelters, “so we can’t help if they don’t identify those locations.”

Johnson countered Wednesday that “the state has received a number of locations that they can build a shelter at.” He did not elaborate. But city officials said they have recommended to Pritzker’s administration potential sites outside Chicago, sometimes with specific buildings in mind, a notion the governor’s office disputes.

“And you know, again, just keep in mind that the state of Illinois can build a shelter anywhere in the state of Illinois. So, the state does not have to build a shelter in Chicago,” he said.

* The full Pritzker administration response to the Tribune’s story…

As the Governor said Monday, we have repeatedly asked the city for alternate locations after their Brighton Park location did not pan out. We are still waiting for the city to identify those locations and remain committed to assisting them as soon as possible.

While some municipalities have received funding to help with asylum seeker resettlement in their communities, the vast majority of the funding for this mission has been invested in the City of Chicago. The hundreds of millions of dollars invested to create the emergency infrastructure for this mission and provide the wraparound services this population needs are based in the City of Chicago.

* Justin Laurence at Crain’s…

“Shelters do not solely have to be set up in the city of Chicago,” Johnson said at his post-City Council press conference. The [mayor’s] comments come on the heels of Pritzker saying he was “deeply concerned” over the city’s declaration that it would no longer open shelters to add to the ad-hoc network of 28 migrant shelters. […]

Johnson was asked Jan. 24 whether the city would again extend the 60-day notice deadline for migrants living in the city’s shelters, which was previously extended to Feb. 1.

Without answering whether it would be extended, Johnson said the announcement of the 60-day notice policy was made in tandem with Pritzker committing $65 million to fund shelter space for 2,200 beds.

“That process has not moved as quickly as this policy will hold,” he said.

Two thousand of those 2,200 beds were supposed to be at the Brighton Park tent city. But the proposal was scrapped after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency decided that a formal release letter stating no further environmental mediation at the site was necessary could not be issued because of outstanding pollution problems.

No similar site has since been approved.

* WTTW…

By the end of February, city officials are set to evict 6,239 migrants from city shelters, according to city data.

Johnson acknowledged Wednesday that the group of people set to be evicted likely includes 1,700 children, who could have to change schools in the middle of the academic year.

“There are no easy answers to any of this,” Johnson said.

Several times, Johnson said state officials could open new shelters outside of Chicago at any time and noted that in the early months of the crisis, the state paid for thousands of migrants to stay in hotels across the city and suburbs.

* ABC 7…

Earlier this week Johnson met with about 25 suburban mayors to ask for help with the crisis in any way they can.

So far, nobody has said what those suburban mayors agreed to do, if anything.

* From Isabel…

Pioneer Press | Oak Park gets additional money to house migrants through February, extending its eviction deadline by a month:

* NBC Chicago | Conflict exists in public statements between Pritzker, Johnson over migrant crisis: With buses still arriving – albeit a slower pace this week than in recent weeks – and Chicago’s 28 migrant shelters at capacity, it leaves open questions about what and how the city plans to approach the migrant crisis going forward. There are additional questions about what will happen to the nearly 1,900 migrants who potentially face a looming Feb. 1 deadline to leave their current shelter under the city’s 60-day stay limit policy.

* ABC | Inside the deteriorating conditions forcing South American migrants to flee north from country to country: Navarro said she was pregnant with her oldest daughter when the crisis happened and she and her husband couldn’t afford to put food on their table. “You look at yourself in the mirror and see how much weight you’ve lost. That’s when it hits you,” she said in Spanish.

* Tribune | New to Chicago, migrant family in mourning after their 11-month-old baby is killed in car crash: The family was coming home from an appointment with their lawyer around 3 p.m. when a car heading in the same direction struck them on southbound I-290. Yusmelis Gonzalez, 31, and their baby, Theo Aleman Gonzalez, were rushed to the hospital. Theo succumbed to his injuries early the next morning. Gonzalez remains hospitalized.

23 Comments

Rate the ISP’s road rage radio ad

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ISP press release from a few weeks ago…

The Illinois State Police (ISP) is launching an educational, public awareness campaign focused on reducing incidents involving road rage. The new campaign, Road Rage. Don’t Engage. is designed to raise awareness about an increase in road rage incidents leading to violence, as well as educate the public on the signs of road rage and tips on how to prevent and handle these situations.

“Although road rage is nothing new, we’re seeing people react more aggressively and dangerously,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The message is simple – if you see or become part of a road rage situation, don’t engage. That extra car length you gain by cutting someone off, or arriving 10 seconds earlier by tailgating another person, is not worth your life.”

ISP developed a campaign to raise public awareness about road rage and the disturbing trend. The campaign consists of social media, including a social media toolkit, along with billboards and radio ads in strategic markets. ISP Safety Education Officers across the state will continue to educate the public on the dangers of road rage and how to deal with the dangerous behavior.

More information, including the social media ads can be found here.

The ISP says that while the number of interstate shootings was down more than 30 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, shootings involving road rage “have increased over the past two years.” Southern Illinois University helped produce the radio spots.

* The thirty-second radio ad running in Chicagoland is striking. A longtime subscriber reached out to me yesterday and asked if I’d heard it. I hadn’t, so I obtained a copy from the ISP.

The spot begins with the sound of gunshots and warns listeners that the other driver may have a gun…

rich-miller · ISP RR PSA 30s Final Edit

Script…

[Sound of gunshots]

Announcer: Listen! Road rage is escalating on Chicago’s expressways. Road rage drivers are using guns to shoot at other drivers.

[Sound of screeching tires]

Driver: Stay in your lane! Come on, man!

Announcer: So when driving, be aware and stay calm. A driver with road rage may have a gun! And if you encounter road rage, don’t engage.

Sponsored by the Illinois State Police. Aired in cooperation with the Illinois Broadcasters Association and this station.

The 60-second ad is here.

11 Comments

Proposal to ban natural gas connections in new construction debated

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Policy Institute…

The Chicago City Council is considering an ordinance that would effectively ban the use of natural gas in most new buildings, potentially doubling heating costs.

The Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance introduced by Ald. Maria Hadden, D-49th Ward, would establish a lower emissions threshold for energy sources in new buildings, essentially prohibiting the future use of natural gas.

Proponents of the ordinance argue the lower threshold plays a key role in slashing emissions and reducing high gas bills in Chicago, while keeping environmental policy in line with other major cities.

Citizens Utility Board Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said Chicagoans could save between $11,000 and $24,000 over 20 years by making their homes entirely electric.

But Peoples Gas, the natural gas utility serving the city, said making Chicagoans use all-electric heat could cost them double what they would pay for natural gas, and still increase emissions because of limited output from renewables.

* This is what Peoples Gas said in full…

The concerns expressed this week by aldermen, union workers, and business leaders are accurate. This proposed ordinance would increase costs and risk reliability for everyone, especially during the coldest days of the year like Chicago has been seeing.

Let’s look at the facts. It costs up to $75,000 to convert a Chicago home to all-electric. On top of that expense, forcing homes to rely on all-electric heat would cost Chicagoans two times more than natural gas.

Further, Chicago may see emissions go up under this plan. The grid that powers Chicago uses coal and natural gas to keep the lights on. Renewable energy accounts for less than 4% on any given day.

1) The city ordinance is about new construction, not conversion.

2) Most of Chicago’s electricity comes from nuclear power. The renewables number may not be accurate, either.

3) The Citizens Utility Board disagrees with PG’s cost argument…

This is just fear-mongering from a utility, Peoples Gas, that is trying to protect a 6-year string of record profits and distract us from the fact that their greed has rendered gas bills unaffordable for huge numbers of Chicagoans. Gas bills are so expensive that about one in five customers are struggling in debt and could face disconnection. Heating fuel that is unaffordable is, by definition, unreliable.

This is why it’s imperative to begin the transition to more affordable, reliable, cleaner energy sources for our homes and workplaces, and the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) represents a manageable first step in that direction. CABO would cover new construction only–and multiple studies show that all-electric buildings are cheaper to build and maintain than those with gas.

It’s ridiculous for Peoples Gas to assert that the emissions standards for new construction that CABO envisions wouldn’t help move us toward the climate goals that both the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago have embraced. Burning gas in our homes threatens our health, our climate and our bottom lines. We need strong policies like CABO to initiate a thoughtful, managed transition toward better options.

* Heather Cherone at WTTW…

The ordinance would set an indoor emissions standard that natural gas appliances cannot comply with, requiring all-electric heat and appliances to be installed in new construction. The proposal would not require exsiting homes and businesses to install electric appliances, Hadden said.

The change is designed to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in newly built structures, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. Nearly 70% of total citywide greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings in Chicago. […]

New hospitals, research laboratories, emergency backup power generators and commercial cooking equipment would be exempt from the requirements, according to the proposal. […]

A 2022 analysis paid for by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that Chicagoans could save roughly $11,000 to $24,000 during a 20-year period by replacing natural gas appliances with all-electric stoves and furnaces.

That study is here. The proposed ordinance is here.

Thoughts?

25 Comments

GOP’s fundraiser featuring Sen. Kennedy pulling in big bucks

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Greg Hinz…

A fundraiser [for the Illinois Republican Party] set for next month not only is a sellout, with 740 tickets purchased for the Feb. 9 dinner at a Rosemont hotel, but has garnered more money than the party reported raising all of last year. Combined with an armistice of sorts between often feuding factions on the party’s central committee, the party appears to have taken at least initial steps to pull out of the funk it’s been in since former Gov. Bruce Rauner lost his re-election bid to Democrat J.B. Pritzker in November 2018. […]

The upcoming Rosemont event featuring U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana already has grossed “more than $300,000,” says party Chairman Don Tracy, a Springfield lawyer who took office after Rauner left the state. And with three weeks to go, the party has added as many seats as it can to the Rosemont venue and sold them all. […]

In an odd twist that also indicates some change, Tracy said much of the proceeds from the event will be used to amplify the Illinois GOP’s early- and absentee-vote efforts. Ergo the dinner’s “bank the vote” theme.

Former President Donald Trump famously ridiculed such efforts after his 2020 loss, repeatedly charging that any votes not cast in person on Election Day were subject to massive fraud. Many party professionals later concluded that relying strictly on in-person votes ceded too much ground to Democrats, and Tracy said efforts to get the GOP back into the early-vote game this year have the blessing of not just the Republican National Committee but Trump himself.

There’s more.

* Allison Janowski at the Democratic Party of Illinois asked to respond…

The Illinois GOP is celebrating their upcoming “Bank Your Vote” Gala as a turning point for their struggling party, but in reality, it’s another ironic display of their ongoing identity crisis. With no record to run on and an authoritarian extremist poised to sit at the top of their ticket, the IL GOP is once again struggling to connect with voters.

In turn, they’ve decided to lean into the RNC’s “Bank Your Vote” campaign for the fundraiser and their 2024 strategy, encouraging Republicans to vote early or vote by mail, methods which many high-profile Republicans, including their presumptive nominee Donald Trump, have repeatedly and falsely claimed leads to election fraud.

The keynote speaker for the gala, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, was among those who questioned the results of the 2020 election, supported efforts to challenge the results, and even sent a fundraising email pushing the “Big Lie” conspiracy.

While they publicly roll out this effort to increase early and absentee voting, Illinois Republicans have spent significant energy behind the scenes attempting to suppress the vote through litigation. Illinois voters have repeatedly rejected their extreme agenda in free and fair elections, so they’ve resorted to desperate measures to turn the tides. Congressman Mike Bost has sought to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day, and IL GOP Treasurer Laura Pollastrini is a co-plaintiff in that effort. The ongoing appeal was also supported by the RNC through an amicus brief, despite their public 180 on mail-in voting.

The gala is a clear example of a national GOP tension between their electoral strategy and the inflammatory rhetoric of their party leader.

The IL GOP won’t disavow Bost’s efforts to restrict Illinoisans’ right to vote, John Kennedy’s history of pushing election fraud, or Donald Trump’s anti-democratic agenda, but they are happy to take up this new-found passion for early and absentee voting when electorally convenient.

Discuss.

21 Comments

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

Under current law, survivors seeking an order of protection can request the removal of firearms, but enforcement is often inconsistent, advocates say.

Karina’s Bill would require judges to serve a search warrant along with orders of protection to ensure law enforcement has the clear guidance and authority to enter a home and remove firearms. Law enforcement would have 48 hours to serve the warrant and seize the weapon.

Ongoing negotiations between bill sponsors and law enforcement agencies have stalled the bill’s progress.

The Illinois State Police has the primary responsibility, under state law, but it relies heavily on local police and sheriff’s departments to go to a home and remove a gun.

* Rep. Joyce Mason filed HB4577…

Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that no public high school of a school district may punish or penalize a student because of an unpaid balance on the student’s school account. Removes a provision making the prohibition on withholding a student’s grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance inoperative beginning 3 years from May 5, 2022. Effective immediately.

* Tribune…

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, and community leaders called on state legislators to pass his bill that addresses repeat gun offenders, during a meeting Wednesday with police chiefs and command staff at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights.

House Bill 4453 states if a juvenile has previously been placed on probation for or convicted of a gun offense that did not result in injury, then judges should require the juvenile to participate in social service programs for three months.

If the juvenile commits another gun offense, then the juvenile should be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice and receive services such as education, mental health services, drug treatment and mentoring, according to the bill.

“If a juvenile is repeatedly using or possessing a firearm, we must act,” DeLuca said. “Where do you think a juvenile’s life is headed when they are repeatedly involved in gun crime? Which road is their life headed down? How will they behave as an adult without an intervention?”

* HB4571 from Rep. Kimberly du Buclet…

Creates the Small Business Economic Incentive Act. Provides that at least 50% of the dollar value of all economic incentives awarded to businesses by the State or by any State agency on or after January 1, 2025 shall be awarded to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. Effective January 1, 2025.

* KMOX…

The state of Illinois could soon be the ninth state to be able to conduct their elections by mail. Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons (D) has introduced legislation in the statehouse in Springfield, Illinois that could make election all mail possible in the future.

Ammons explained to Total Information A.M. Wednesday that her legislation isn’t a full statewide vote by mail, but it would let clerks to be able to send ballots to all registered voters in their jurisdiction automatically.

“This is not the full vote by mail option you see in the state of Utah and Colorado,” said Ammons. “This is the step that both states took before they got statewide vote by mail.” […]

Another benefit from the change would potentially be saving money on renting out space for polling locations, and paying election judges.

“My county( which includes Champagne) literally had 67 polling locations,” said Ammons. “You would not have to fund and get election judges at each of those locations. These would simply go into your home and people can take their time to look at their ballot and research the candidate and simply mail them back from the comfort of their home.”

* Rep. Jaime Andrade filed HB4572 yesterday…

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides for the issuance of a Montessori educator license to qualified individuals to teach using the Montessori method in public school programs that use the Montessori method as the primary method of instruction. Sets forth the requirements that an individual must satisfy to be issued a Montessori educator license, which include requiring the applicant to have (i) graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a bachelor’s degree, (ii) a Montessori certificate or credential issued by an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, by the American Montessori Society, or by the Association Montessori Internationale, and (iii) successfully completed required testing. Makes related changes to provisions concerning educator testing and fees.

* SB2872 from Sen. Rachel Ventura…

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that each school district shall provide to students, in addition to and not substituting recess, at least once a week, relaxation activities to enhance the mental and physical health of students as part of the school day. Specifies which activities may be considered relaxation activities. Provides that a school district may partner with local community-based organizations to provide relaxation activities. Provides that these activities may take place in a physical education class, social-emotional learning class, or student-support or advisory class or as a part of another similar class, including a new class.

* HB4569 from Rep. Jay Hoffman…

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that the State shall indemnify and hold harmless a board-certified forensic pathologist who has been appointed or designated by a county or a county coroner’s office to perform autopsies for all of the pathologist’s acts, omissions, decisions, or conduct arising out of the scope of the pathologist’s duties of performing autopsies for the county, except those involving willful or wanton misconduct. Provides that indemnification shall be as provided under the State Employee Indemnification Act. Amends the State Employee Indemnification Act to make conforming changes.

* Rep. Dave Severin filed HB4570…

Amends the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985. Provides that a licensed cosmetology teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a barber teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a barber teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a licensed cosmetology teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her cosmetology teacher license in subjects that are common to both barbering and cosmetology in the supplemental barber course. Provides that a licensed barber teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a cosmetology teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a cosmetology teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a licensed barber teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her barber teacher license in subjects that are common to both barbering and cosmetology in the supplemental cosmetology course. Provides that a licensed esthetician teacher or licensed nail technician teacher who submits to the Department an application for licensure as a cosmetology teacher must meet all requirements of this Act for licensure as a cosmetology teacher, except that an applicant who has at least 3 years of experience as a esthetician teacher or licensed nail technician teacher shall be given credit for hours of instruction completed for his or her esthetician teacher or nail technician teacher license in subjects that are common to both esthetics or nail technology and cosmetology. Provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Responsibilities shall provide for the implementation of these provisions by rule.

* Rep. Bradley Fritts’ HB4574…

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that if the defendant committed the offense in or on the grounds of a hospital, ambulatory surgical treatment center, physician’s office, or other medical facility that treats patients and the offense was a crime of violence committed against a licensed health care professional or an employee of a hospital, ambulatory surgical treatment center, physician’s office, or other medical facility that treats patients, this factor shall be accorded weight in favor of imposing a term of imprisonment or may be considered by the court as a reason to impose a more severe sentence.

* HB4576 from Rep. Yolonda Morris…

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall adopt a rule, in consultation with a librarian who has a minimum of a Master’s degree or has a Ph.D. in Library Science or Library and Information Science from an accredited college or university, appointed by the Director of Corrections, prohibiting the chief administrative officer or other correctional officer of a correctional institution or facility of the Department from summarily rejecting for use or receipt by committed persons books, publications, or library materials or from establishing lists of prohibited publications to committed persons unless those books, publications, or library materials: (1) are detrimental to the security of the correctional institution or facility; (2) constitute child pornography as defined in the Criminal Code of 2012; or (3) may be used to facilitate criminal activity. Provides that the rule shall provide that a committed person may appeal to the Director or another person or body that the Director may appoint if the committed person is denied access to the books, publications, or library materials that are requested. Provides that a final decision of the Director or appointed person or body is subject to review under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Chicago City Council mulls natural gas ban, skips vote on police arbitration. NBC Chicago…

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Johnson calls concept for Sox ballpark development at The 78 ‘the way new stadiums should and could look’
∙ ABC Chicago: Tensions rise at Chicago City Council meeting during Holocaust Remembrance Day resolution
∙ Block Club: Dollar Store Crackdown Delayed, But Fight To Hold Shops Accountable Isn’t Over

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WBEZ | Illinois OKs plan to revamp how reading is taught: The report outlines seven parts of literacy instruction, including comprehension and writing, but highlights the need for teaching phonics — or understanding the relationship between letters and sounds. This comes as a large body of scientific research details how we learn to read — and that’s through explicitly sounding out words. For some districts, this would represent a shift away from a “balanced literacy,” a broad-swing approach intended to foster a love of reading that includes phonics but doesn’t prioritize it.

* Tribune | Mayor Johnson calls on state to build migrant shelters outside Chicago: Speaking to reporters after presiding over the City Council meeting, the mayor did not directly answer questions about the fate of the next round of migrants whose 60-day deadline to vacate city-run shelters arrives Feb. 1, with harsh winter weather expected to remain. […] “What the state committed to doing back in November, that process has not moved as quickly as this (60-day) policy will hold,” Johnson said. “This policy was really attached to a larger operation that included … 2,200 beds. That’s what the state of Illinois committed to doing.”

* Sun-Times | Advocates make emotional plea for passage of bill aimed at seizing guns from those accused in domestic violences cases: Families of those killed in domestic violence cases joined lawmakers Wednesday in making an emotional plea for the Illinois General Assembly to act on Karina’s Bill — aimed at removing guns from the hands of abusers — following failed attempts to push the bill through in the fall veto session.

Governor Pritzker will be at the Sweet Maple Café at 9:30 am with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for a breakfast meeting.

* Ope…

I’ve been practicing my magic… I made the statehouse disappear. 😬🪄 pic.twitter.com/KflYXotEzk

— Tony Sanders (@TonySandersSupt) January 24, 2024

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WICS | Darren Bailey’s name recognition could pave way for congressional election upset: “They’re both strong conservatives, they both won within the territory,” said Kent Redfield, a retired political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “This certainly looks competitive.“ In July, a poll showed Bost was up six points on Bailey. A recent internal poll released by Bailey says he’s up 48-44 percent over Bost. While the polls are scarce, Kent Redfield expects a close race, with Bailey cashing in on his name recognition from downstate.

* CNI | State education board to seek $653M increase in upcoming budget year: PreK-12 education spending currently makes up about one-fifth of the state’s entire General Revenue Fund budget. The proposed increase, if approved, would bring the state’s total GRF spending on public education to just over $11 billion.

* WCIA | Pritzker pauses cuts to care for developmentally disabled: A spokesperson for the Pritzker administration confirmed the cuts will not go into effect this fiscal year. The state already delayed the implementation of the cuts multiple times. The current fiscal year will end on July 1st.

* Chronicle | Four vie in 53rd State Senate GOP primary after challenge overturned: The 53rd State Senate District GOP primary ballot will remain crowded after Gridely businessman and farmer Mike Kirkton survived a challenge to his nominating petitions by the slimmest of margins earlier this month.

* WTTW | ‘Night and Day’ Transformation: Arnold Randall is Leaving Cook County Forest Preserves in Better Shape Than He Found Them: In his final days as general superintendent, Randall spoke with WTTW News about his legacy, how the forest preserves will maintain its positive trajectory and what lured him to move on from what he called “the best job I’ve ever had.”

* Daily Herald | Former Mount Prospect mayor has medical scare at state of village address: She later texted Mayor Paul Hoefert, telling him that doctors attributed the episode to dehydration. “And apparently she has COVID,” Hoefert added. Juracek said in a text Wednesday evening that she had no idea she had COVID until she was tested at the hospital. She said she is “drinking lots of homemade turkey soup.”

* Sun-Times | Johnson dodges embarrassing defeat by calling off second vote to reject police arbitration: Johnson wanted the Council to reject that ruling again. His allies filed notice of their intention to seek that vote with the city clerk’s office. The city’s longtime labor negotiator Jim Franczek even told a Circuit Court judge hearing a lawsuit filed by the Fraternal Order of Police that the second vote would be held at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. But Johnson had a problem. He needed two-thirds of the Council — 34 members — to vote to immediately consider the matter because it had not been before a committee.

* Crain’s | City Council unanimously approves Ciere Boatright as planning commissioner: Boatright has pledged to speed up the city’s development approval process to “get far more shovels in the ground and cut more ribbons” and has received praise from the real estate community and members of the council since taking the job on an interim basis last year.

* Sun-Times | City analyst paid $123k a year to do nothing blames power grab by Ald. Jason Ervin: “He took all my credentials and access away. I would love to come to work. I wasn’t allowed to come to work,” Williams, 50, said Wednesday. “I enjoyed what I was doing. It was one of the best opportunities I ever had. I was denied access to come to work. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come to work. I couldn’t come to work,” he said.

* Block Club | Obama Foundation Gives $500K To Chicago Groups Supporting Girls’ Health, Education And More: The money will be spent to boost programs like free therapy, mentorship, education for refugees, a performance at the Harris Theater and more. All are available to and center young women.

* Daily Herald | DuPage County hires new federal lobbyist: The county will pay McGuireWoods Consulting $8,000 a month or $96,000 total under a one-year contract starting Feb. 1. The board awarded the contract after several Republican members raised questions earlier this month about the cost and whether the federal lobbyist would work across party lines.

* CBS | 2 Chicago nonprofits serving the disabled finally get handicapped parking: Their quest to get handicapped parking in front of their building is finally over. It started more than two years ago with phone calls and letters - and no action - until now. If city signage brightens your day, there’s got to be a story behind it.

* Block Club | Skylark Employees Buy Popular Pilsen Dive Bar, And They’re Keeping It The Same: The new owners are planning to celebrate with a “Grand Staying The Same” party 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at the bar, 2149 S. Halsted St. There will be limited edition Skylark apparel available for purchase, along with its typical and well-loved menu.

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Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Oops…

…Adding… Welp…

* Politico…

— NEW AD: The Bring Chicago Home campaign is launching its first ad encouraging voters to check yes for the Ballot Measure 1. The ad features all the buzz words that voters might be drawn to, including “cutting taxes” and “ensuring the rich pay their fair share.” And it addresses the main point: helping homeless get out of the cold and into homes. That ad has already started appearing on Hulu, YouTube and other digital platforms. Watch it here

— TWO-FER: Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Bill Foster (IL-11) are scheduled to take part in a combined candidate forum along with primary challengers to their reelection bids. Details here

— Vidal Vasquez will remain on the ballot for the Democratic primary in the 21st House District, according to the Board of Elections. He’s challenging incumbent state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid.

* Rockford Register Star…

Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center officials have implemented a new disciplinary system, made major staffing changes, hired therapists and altered policies in the wake of an alarming June inspection that raised concerns about excessive confinement.

Some of the measures had already been in progress and others were accelerated by the annual audit conducted by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.

It found youth detainees at the 48-bed Winnebago County facility in Rockford at 5350 Northrock Drive were locked in their cells for hours at a time, many weren’t getting access to required education and that some had access to water cut off when misbehaving juveniles flooded their rooms.

Although the Department of Juvenile Justice has no authority to enforce its findings, 17th Circuit Court Director of Court Services Debbie Jarvis said it was taken seriously.

Some corrections — like ending the practice of shutting off water to cells of misbehaving youth who clogged their toilets with sheets, clothes or books — were taken in response to the report.

* Tribune…

If you stop by the Field Museum right now and find yourself in the Alsdorf Hall of Northwest Coast and Arctic Peoples, or the Robert R. McCormick Halls of the Ancient Americas, you will notice something about the display cases: Several are covered up.

That in itself is not unusual — who hasn’t been to a museum and seen a display case displaying nothing? What’s unusual is the reason: On Jan. 12, federal regulations concerning the exhibition and study of Native American remains and sacred artifacts were tightened, to bring teeth and clarity to a set of rules that languished for decades.

The revised regulations are sweeping: They demand museums speed up the process of repatriating Native American “human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony,” establishing ownership and lineage between museum collections and Native American descendants, returning anything requested. Museums must update their inventories of Native American remains and funerary objects within five years. Also, curators can no longer categorize such items as “culturally unidentifiable,” thereby holding them indefinitely. Tribal knowledge and traditions must be deferred to.

Moreover, institutions must get “free, prior and informed consent” from Native tribes before the exhibition or research of sacred artifacts. According to a Field Museum statement, the covered displays hold “cultural items that could be subject to these regulations,” and will stay covered “pending consultation with the represented (tribal) communities.” (The Field also noted it does not have any human remains on display.)

* Here’s the rest…

* McLean Chronicle | Decatur’s Deering versus Bloomington’s Erickson in 88th House primary: With the district a solidly red enclave politically, the primary election will determine the next state representative, as no Democrat filed nominating petitions. Deering is endorsed by the retiring Caulkins, and Erickson is endorsed by retired State Sen. Dan Brady, a longtime political force in the Bloomington-Normal area.

* WBEZ | Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers: Invasive carp is shorthand for a family of giant fish that can out-eat, out-grow and out-reproduce native fish. In parts of the Illinois river, researchers say there’s more carp than anywhere else on the planet. The furthest upstream populations of the carp are approximately 14 miles downstream. But Whitney and other scientists worry that there’s increasingly an opportunity for the carp to make it through and disrupt the food web inside the Great Lakes. Carp could decimate the entire recreational and commercial fishing industry that has sprung up around the lakes that’s valued at $7 billion annually.

* Post-Tribune | BP tank leak spreads chemical odor across Indiana, Illinois communities: In the days following the incident, residents of nearby communities in Indiana and Illinois — including Crete, Steger, Tinley Park, Oak Forest and Posen — took to social media and contacted 911 to complain of an odor they described as strong and gas-like.

* Crain’s | Measure to ban natural gas in new buildings stumbles out of the gate: Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, sent the ordinance to the Rules Committee when it was introduced, meaning the supporters of the measure will have to take a vote to redirect it to a joint-committee of the Environmental Protection Committee and Zoning Committee where it can be put up for a vote.

* Tribune | National Endowment for the Arts gives more than $1.6 million in grants for art projects in Illinois: The grants include funding for art projects, research awards, literature fellowships, and Challenge America grants, which seek to reach historically underserved communities.

* WSPY | Sugar Grove Trustee Gets Deal from Kane State’s Attorney for Forgery Charges: Under the deal, Michels will only have to pay just over $1,500 in fines, complete a theft awareness program, and avoid arrest. If he abides by the agreement, which includes conditions such as not breaking any Illinois laws, the state’s attorney’s office will dismiss charges against him. The deal also appeared to stipulate Community Service to be performed. No documents were found in the court records explaining the extent of the community service. WSPY asked the Kane County States Attorney for comment on what the extent of community service would be and the Kane County States Attorney’s Office refused to respond.

* DE | The state of SIU’s buildings a cause for concern: The maintenance log, obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, shows the types of concerns that have prompted students and faculty to call campus maintenance. They include dozens of instances of plumbing troubles, water damage, heating and cooling issues, mold, insects and more spanning from 2019 to 2022. In total, facilities management fielded 16,384 different requests over that time frame.

* Block Club | Residents Of Humboldt Park Tent Encampment Are Finding Homes, But More Help Is Needed: Officials with the city’s Department of Family & Support Services and the Department of Housing have hosted three accelerated moving events since May to get residents enrolled in a rapid rehousing program, leaders said. Fifty-six people have found permanent housing, and another 30 are finding new apartments or are in negotiations with providers, city officials said at a community meeting this month hosted by Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th).

* Shaw Local | Marengo, Harvard enact laws to deter surprise migrant drop-offs: The ordinance is about ensuring safety, and is not meant to be punitive, city leaders said. “The city of Marengo hasn’t had any issues in regard to this, but we want to be prepared just in case,” Radcliffe said. “Better safe than sorry. We don’t envision getting this, but just in case, we have something in place to cover this.”

* Sun-Times | Council’s Budget Committee chair wants to fire head of financial analysis office: The stand-off began on July 14, when Williams said he was summoned to Ervin’s office and told the newly-appointed Budget chair was “going in a different direction and I’m putting you on administrative leave” with pay. “He took all my credentials and access away. I would love to come to work. I wasn’t allowed to come to work,” Williams, 50, said Wednesday.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect resumes effort to shut down source of bad odors: Prestige Feed Products, 431 Lakeview Court, recently installed equipment intended to mitigate odors coming from the factory. But village attorney Allen Wall told Cook County Judge Clare Quish that neighboring businesses and residents continue to file complaints. The village has requested a preliminary injunction requiring Prestige to halt operations until it can get the odors under control.

* Tribune | All things grow: Justin Peck is transforming Sufjan Stevens’ album into ‘Illinoise,’ a different kind of stage musical: Somewhere after the turn of the millennium, Stevens (who declined to be interviewed for this piece) came up with the idea of recording an album for every state in the union — an organizing principal, you might say, akin to August Wilson writing a play for every decade in the 20th century. But he only ever recorded two entries in his Fifty States project, later dismissing the whole enterprise: “Michigan,” a 2003 album with tracks about Detroit and the Upper Peninsula, but also Flint, Romulus (home of the Detroit airport) and Holland (Stevens went to Hope College). Not that he restricted himself to cities: there’s also “Wolverine” and the melancholic “Vito’s Ordination Song” about a friend of his, the Rev. Thomas Vito Aiuto, who became a minister.

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How’s that ‘abundance’ talk working out?

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition report last June…

Goal #1: Strengthen and invest in Chicago’s infrastructure to be inclusive of migrant and refugee communities to make Chicago a true Welcoming City.

VISION:
Chicago leads the nation in ensuring that all immigrants regardless of race, color, language, gender, status, or disability feel safe, invested in, and cared for. Through deep collaboration, alignment, and relationship building across communities, the city, and other layers of government, Chicagoans are able to live in abundance by having all their needs met regardless of their language, race, color, gender, or immigration status.

The word “abundance” was tossed around a lot before the election.

* December 14th…

About 300 migrants who have been waiting for shelter are expected to move into the former convent and one of the former school buildings on the St. Bartholomew campus at Addison Street and Lavergne Avenue. […]

“St. Bartholomew’s was the first that we landed on primarily because it was the quickest,” [Eric Wollan, the chief capital assets officer in the archdiocese’s real estate department] said. “Our hope is that we’ll be in a position to offer more sites.”

* Local Ald. Ruth Cruz put in the work to help make it all happen…

Cruz said that she talked with 16th District commander Heather Daniel and that the commander said the district already had experience dealing with migrant housing at Wright. She said the commander told her that safety for the neighborhood and migrants should not to be a problem.

Cruz said that she has also inquired out about medical and other resources from the county for the migrants and talked to the Chicago Public Schools, which she said expressed confidence migrant children could be brought into area schools without negatively impacting resources for existing students.

Cruz plans to distribute fliers explaining the housing plan to area homes and hold an informational session for residents.

And then Mayor Brandon Johnson pulled the rug out from under the plan (and his own transition report) when he confirmed this month that the city will not stand up any more shelters.

* The mayor’s decision to kill a shelter which was literally days away from opening and his decision not to open any new shelters has had some consequences, of course. Just one example…

Residents who live near a makeshift shelter for migrants in Edgewater are pushing back against the city about asylum-seekers being housed in their neighborhood for six months. […]

Pat Sharkey, a convener of the Coalition of Edgewater Block Clubs and Residents’ Associations, helped author the report for the city and said she plans to send it to a handful of officials Wednesday morning. Sharkey said the city closed 54 classes and programs at the armory when it decided to house migrants. 18 were relocated to other parks.

But Sharkey said many residents can’t or don’t want to go elsewhere in the city for their park programming — sports such as basketball, floor hockey and gymnastics. She said it has significantly affected families in her community. The study shows that enrollment in programs has decreased by 73%.

“There were 1,200 people using the armory in fall of 2022 and there are no classes being held there now,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

And just wait until April, when the city will exhaust its appropriations authority because the mayor deliberately underfunded migrant-related spending.

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Just FYI

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The usual suspects have really been out in force this week…

The replies are bristling with people blaming the killer’s release on the SAFE-T Act. And that’s just a very tiny taste of what’s out there.

The facts are that Nance was released on cash bail last year, before cash bail was formally eliminated in September. And he was able to bail out in a county where State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow led the charge against eliminating cash bail and warned, “The intent of this law is to destroy the criminal justice system in Illinois.”

* To the Joliet Herald-News…

Although a Will County judge had denied the reduction of a $100,000 bond on assault and weapons charges last year for a Joliet man recently linked to the fatal shooting of eight people, someone identifying herself as his sister came up with the money to free him from jail, court records show.

On Jan. 26, 2023, Romeo Nance, 23, of Joliet, was taken to the Will County jail on a $100,000 bond warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.

Those charges concerned a Jan. 3, 2023, incident unrelated to the recent deaths linked to Nance. On Monday, authorities said Nance was a suspect in the shooting deaths of eight people in the Joliet area and a non-fatal shooting of a ninth person.

Nance shot and killed himself in Texas following a confrontation with law enforcement there, according to Joliet police officials.

Under the SAFE-T Act, aggravated discharge of a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon are all detainable offenses.

23 Comments

Asylum-seeker coverage roundup

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* HB4567 from Rep. Anne Stava-Murray…

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Includes in offense of threatening a public official or human service provider, threatening a library employee. Provides that the threat to a public official, human service provider, or library employee includes a threat made electronically or via social media. Defines “library employee”. In the offense of threatening a public official, human service provider, or library employee, includes in the definition of “public official” an employee of any State of Illinois constitutional office, State agency, or the General Assembly. Provides that the offense of disorderly conduct includes transmitting or causing to be transmitted threats or false reports electronically or via social media. Provides that disorderly conduct includes the knowing transmission of or causing to be transmitted in any manner, including electronically or via social media, a lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene message to a public official. Provides that making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat includes making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat by any means of communication, including electronically or via social media. Makes other changes.

* WIFR…

House Bill 4431 would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code, ending requirements for drivers over the age of 75 to retake a driving test to renew their driver’s license.

According to data from the National Safety Council, after age 34 the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreases as the age of the driver increases.

While many may have preconceived notions about older drivers causing more car accidents, State Representative Jeff Keicher says the facts show seniors are actually the safest drivers on the road.

“Illinois is the only state in the United States that does this, I think it’s time we trust our seniors,” Keicher said.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2022, 24.39 out of every 1,000 Illinois drivers over the age of 75 have gotten in a crash, the lowest crash rate for every range of drivers between 16 and 69 years old.

* WLPO…

Municipalities would be given back their voice in the placement of solar farms under a new measure sponsored by State Senator Sue Rezin.
The Morris Republican has introduced a bill allowing cities, towns and villages to weigh in on the placement of solar-energy facilities in unincorporated areas that are within three miles of town.

Rezin says she’s backing the bill to help fix a mistake she says was made in the fall. That’s when another bill was pushed through the veto session. That measure allows the state to automatically approve placement of a wind or solar project, provided it meets what Rezin says are watered-down site requirements. While the law does allow cities to approve or deny nearby wind farms, it doesn’t allow an official local voice over the placement of solar farms.

Rezin’s new proposal is waiting to be assigned to a Senate Committee for consideration in Springfield.

* Lake & McHenry County Scanner…

A local lawmaker has filed a bill to ban people from possessing African serval cats after one escaped from its owners in a Vernon Hills neighborhood in November and died when it was captured.

Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) introduced the legislation during the first week of the 2024 legislative session.

Didech said Tuesday the bill proposes a ban on the possession of African serval cats throughout Illinois. […]

State law currently prohibits individuals from possessing lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots, jaguars, cheetahs, margay, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, jaguarundis, bears, hyenas, wolves, coyotes and nonhuman primates.

* HB4566 from Rep. Camille Lilly…

Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Creates the Diversity and Inclusion in Business Organizations Leadership Task Force within the Office of the Secretary of State. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to identify ways to increase diversity in business organization leadership and to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to achieve that goal. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 2026. Sets forth provisions concerning duties, membership, and administrative support. Repeals the provision that creates the Task Force and dissolves the Task Force on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.

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Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Injustice Watch…

A monthslong feud between a Woodlawn landlord and his tenants over allegations of unlivable conditions reached a boiling point last week, when a skeptical judge threatened to jail tenants he found to be lying. […]

“This is a nightmare,” said one tenant, a 23-year-old whose first name is Esdras. His family moved to the $1,827-per-month apartment in September as part of a state-sponsored emergency rental program for asylum-seekers. […]

Chicago housing advocates interviewed by Injustice Watch say they know of other instances in which newly arrived asylum-seekers were housed in buildings the city has taken to housing court for building code violations.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Human Services, one of two agencies administering the program, did not respond to an Injustice Watch question about why the state would place a family in a building being sued by the city for poor conditions.

…Adding… From the Illinois Department of Human Services…

The rental assistance program has a call center which tenants/landlords can access to ask questions or bring up issues with the program. Tenants also have access to legal aid clinics and/or community agencies that can help tenants with any apartment issues. Please note that all units are viewed by tenants prior to moving in and services are connected prior to move-in. Any issues brought to our attention are investigated and properly addressed.

* Press release…

Today, the City of Chicago and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) are announcing the conclusion of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find a new food service provider for city-run shelters for New Arrivals. DFSS is pleased to announce that two local agencies, Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish, were selected.

Seventy-Seven Communities will serve as the food provider for shelters in the North Region of Chicago and 14 Parish will serve as the food provider for the New Arrivals shelters in the South Region. Both local agencies have participated in a rigorous and multi-step request for proposal review and evaluation process. They each were able to demonstrate their understanding of the target population and the ability to meet logistical needs of this mission as well as preparation and delivery capacities.

“We know that the New Arrivals Mission is very complex and being able to provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant meals at a time when we know people need our help the most is an important part of this work,” said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze.

Seventy-Seven Communities has been delivering quality meals around Chicagoland for decades and has experience creating specific menus for groups with complex needs, such as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. […]

The goals of this RFP were to increase food quality for all New Arrivals shelters and to decrease the cost of the Meals Program for the City. Both Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish have demonstrated that they can provide high quality and culturally congruent meal service to all shelters for $15-$17 per person per day. This is a significant decrease from the $21-$23 the City has been spending on food per person per day prior to this contract. Additionally, both agencies have demonstrated that they have many partnerships with local and minority-owned restaurants, including local Venezuelan restaurants, who will be assisting in creating menus and preparing food that fit both the nutritious and cultural needs of shelter residents.

* ABC Chicago…

North Side residents plan to be at City Hall for Wednesday’s Council meeting, as they push for a migrant shelter to be returned to the community. […]

“It is hard for us to repurpose space, but it’s the time we’re living in now where we need to repurpose space,” [Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights] Beatriz Ponce de Leon said back in July.

At that time, the city promised to reevaluate in six months, which will be on Feb. 1. […]

Edgewater residents are asking the Chicago Park District once again to make space for community programs and migrants inside the Broadway Armory.

“Nobody wants anybody out on the street,” [block club President Pat Sharkey] said. “But what we do want is a commitment for a date by which they will have unwound this facility and we can restart park programs.”

* Oak Park Journal…

Oak Park’s village board of trustees unanimously approved the submission of a grant application for more than $1.94 million to provide aid to asylum seekers in the village.

Of that, $11 million in Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seekers Services funds is available to exclusively to municipalities outside of Chicago that such people, according to an Illinois Department of Human Services news release. The funds cannot be used, however, to transport the migrants to another municipality. […]

An approval of this grant funding would be expected within five days, said Kira Tchang, human resources director and assistant village manager. Village staff intends to submit the application Wednesday.

City of Chicago officials have said it would be best for migrants in Oak Park to remain where they are rather than being transported to Chicago’s “landing zone,” Tchang said.

“Last time we spoke with representatives from Chicago, they indicated that shelters were full,” she said.

* Shaw Local…

La Salle County’s Committee on Appointment and Legislation and Rules is expected to review the county’s migrant resolution 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.

The Insurance Trust Committee discussed the resolution Jan. 18 and the county’s insurance consultants said they saw no red flags with the resolution, which added language to assist migrants in a humanitarian manner.

The La Salle County Board began discussion Jan. 11 on coming up with a plan if a bus initially en route to Chicago were to abandon migrants within the county, as had occurred recently in suburbs around Chicago. At this time, there have not been any migrants dropped off by buses in La Salle County.

A resolution modeled after Grundy County was sent from the full County Board on Jan. 11 to the Committee on Appointment, Legislation and Rules, which met Jan. 16 and decided to send the item to the Insurance Trust Committee to make sure the county was not overlooking any liability.

7 Comments

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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