Nurses represented by the Illinois Nurses Association are joined by colleagues from the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees Union to conduct informational picketing to call attention to the woeful staffing conditions at both Chicago-Read Mental Health Center and the Illinois Veterans Home at Chicago.
Chicago-Read Mental Health Center is a state-run inpatient JCAHO-accredited facility with between 150 and 200 beds located on the northwest side of the city.
The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Chicago offers 200 private rooms with baths. Its open floor plan creates community around pods of living and dining spaces. The home accommodates veterans seeking skilled nursing and memory care.
In 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statement announcing a statewide recruitment and retention campaign to more fully staff state-run health agencies. According to INA, the agencies have not responded to this clarion call for new staff.
Nurses who work at the VA Home at Chicago have filed a number of complaints about inadequate staffing and consistent payroll issues. According to the INA, The Chicago VA location employs 12 RNs and these nurses care for 24 veterans. Nurses are often required to work alone during the day shift and families of the vets have rightly inquired about why there only one nurse taking care of all 24 patients. Several families have pulled their Vet out of the Chicago VA because of the lack of RNs.
The Purge is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films … The films present a seemingly normal, crime-free America in the near-future. However, the country is a dystopia which celebrates an annual national holiday known as “the Purge,” a day in which all crime, including murder, becomes decriminalized for a 12-hour period.
* Sen. Darren Bailey today, with a bit of italicized commentary by me and some links for you…
We’re standing here today near the spot where two tourists were mugged at gunpoint just outside of their hotel last night.
This is not a test, this is a wake up call. Chicago is living The Purge. When criminals ravage at will and the cops are told to stand down.
JB Pritzker and his cohorts in mayhem are directing the film. With his SAFE-T Act, JB is set to unleash The Purge in neighborhoods all over Illinois as of January 1.
For those who will not see, many in the media, those who deny the hellhole Chicago has become. More people have been murdered in Chicago this year than in New York City and Los Angeles combined [Close, but not accurate]. Let that sink in. More than 500 deaths so far.
JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx are personally responsible for this.
For those who will not see, lift the veils from your eyes before they’re ripped away by one of the gangs or criminals that our leaders have set free.
Watch the video of a gang of armed robbers terrorizing Wicker Park residents Monday. The cops spotted them getting away, but they were told to stand down. Don’t try to catch them. Don’t pursue, was the words. That’s the rule in Chicago. Those Wicker Park robbers are serial criminals. They went off scot free and they will return.
Alderman George Cardenas, a Democrat, tweeted in a response, ‘Public Safety in Chicago is a joke. Why bother calling the police?’ Except it’s not a joke. It’s a nightmare.
Chicago has strict vehicle pursuit guidelines that make it impossible for police to do their jobs and let criminals go free. [If the city is going to have these pursuit guidelines to protect innocent bystanders, then it really needs alternatives, like drones and helicopters, and it needs them soon.]
And it gets worse. JB is so enamored of these horrific rules that he passed legislation that imposes them on the entire state of Illinois.
Soon, all of Illinois will look like Chicago, like a scene from a horror film come to life. We can and we must stop this.
He then went on to outline his anti-crime program, which he’s done before. Also, as always, please pardon any transcription errors.
* Bailey seems to be riding a wave of recent TikTok videos claiming Illinois is about to enter The Purge on January 1. Most of the videos are based on false or woefully incomplete information, including a meme produced by a far-right southern Illinois website using call letters that make it look like a licensed broadcast station.
…Adding… It’s spreading like wildfire on these sites…
I see the Safe-T Act being referred to as the "Purge Law" on hip-hop and entertainment news and blogs.
We really have to address how misinformation is spreading because bloggers are searching for content. They're not fact-checking.
There are no “non-detainable offenses” coming on January 1. Those judged a flight risk can be held, as one example. But, there’s been a lot of behind the scenes talk about changing the SAFE-T Act during the post-election veto session, particularly to tighten up some language on who gets released and when, and clarifying some things in the anti-trespassing law. So, this Fox 32 take is mostly correct…
Even some top Democrats concede privately they’d like to amend ambiguous language dealing with exactly when judges will be able to detain violent offenders.
* Last word…
I am trying to imagine someone standing on Restaurant Row in the West Loop, surrounded by gleaming new high rises and some of the best food in the country, and declaring that this place is the purge.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, the most prominent effort by Republicans to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”
Graham’s measure, which stands almost no chance of advancing while Democrats hold the majority in Congress, comes just weeks after he and most Republicans had defended the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested Graham had gone a bit rogue with his latest legislation: “That wasn’t a conference decision. It was an individual senator’s decision.”
“There’s obviously a split of opinion in terms of whether abortion law should be decided by the states, which is my preference … and those who want to set some sort of minimum standard,” Cornyn said of the 50-member Senate GOP conference. “I would keep an open mind on this but my preference would be for those decisions to be made on a state-by-state basis.”
* More…
McConnell on Graham’s bill: “you’ll have to ask him about it.” Says most Republicans want to leave it to the states
* I asked Gov. Pritzker’s office for react. Here’s the governor’s response…
Illinois is and always will be a state where we respect women’s rights to make their own decisions about their bodies and their healthcare. The extremists in the GOP told us it should be up to the states to decide and we knew they couldn’t be trusted. A nationwide ban on abortion is not only an egregious attempt to strip away long held rights, but it puts the lives of women at risk. The GOP’s blatant lies are disappointing, but no longer surprising. As Governor, I will never stop fighting to protect every Illinoisans’ right to choose, and I call on all of our representatives to put people over party and vote against a nationwide ban on abortion.
* Sen. Bailey was asked today whether he would support a national abortion ban after 15 weeks…
I’ll have to look at that. I haven’t looked at that. I want to remind people here in Illinois that women are well protected and cared for and nothing is going to change here in Illinois regarding abortions as Gov. Pritzker tries to throw me in that category.
…Adding… DPI…
Today, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez issued the following statement on Republicans’ national abortion ban:
“The Republican party has made clear that it will stop at nothing to strip women of their reproductive rights. Far-right extremist Republicans in Illinois have threatened to do the same here at home — but we will not let them.”
“The stakes of this election could not be more clear. Now more than ever, we must unite to support Democrat pro-choice champions up and down the ballot who will fight to protect abortion access in Washington and here in Illinois. Together, we will ensure that our state remains a safe haven for those who call Illinois home and a beacon of hope for reproductive rights across the country.”
* For some reason, I haven’t yet posted this story…
The leading candidates for Illinois Governor will meet face to face for the first time, in a set of exclusive prime-time debates hosted by Nexstar Media Inc. next month.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican nominee, State Sen. Darren Bailey, have both agreed to participate in two, one-hour debates covering current issues central to voters both regionally and statewide.
The first will now take place on October 6, at Braden Auditorium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.
The second debate will be held on October 18 at WGN-TV studios in Chicago.
Both events will take place at 7p.m., airing live on Nexstar television stations serving Illinois and reaching voters in nearly every corner of the state. The debates will also be streamed online, including on WGNTV.com.
* Surrounded by states with abortion restrictions, Illinois remains an oasis for out of state abortion seekers. Better Government Association…
By the time word spread of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision to reverse the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade, an Illinois-based hotline for one of the country’s largest abortion support funds was already about to close for the weekend.
When it reopened Monday morning, the staff was stunned to find 200 missed calls for help waiting for them. Overwhelmed, they had to shut down the line for the week — the first time in the Midwest Access Coalition’s 8-year history — just to catch up. […]
One clinic in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis saw a nearly 30% increase in those seeking abortions from June to August. In Chicago, one non-profit abortion support group served 4,000 clients this year, already 1,000 more than all of 2021.
“We’re expecting tens of thousands more people to come to Illinois,” said Alicia Hurtado, communications and advocacy manager at the Chicago Abortion Fund, a non-profit group to support abortion access. “We’re just hopeful we can continue to be there for our neighbors, but it’s going to take deep investment.” […]
“We’re expecting tens of thousands more people to come to Illinois,” said Alicia Hurtado, communications and advocacy manager at the Chicago Abortion Fund, a non-profit group to support abortion access. “We’re just hopeful we can continue to be there for our neighbors, but it’s going to take deep investment.”
Since it was founded in 2014, the Midwest Access Coalition supported a total of 3,000 abortion patients. Last year, across a 12-state midwest region, the coalition spent $120,000 on hotels, $15,000 for food and $55,000 on flights, according to its 2021 impact report.
The coalition’s fund helped 800 people in all of 2021. This year, they hit that number in July. As of Sept. 2, the coalition served 1,050 clients with meals, hotels and travel expenses, Dreith said.
“This is a healthcare issue, this is a basic human rights issue and we are in a crisis moment and Illinois needs to act legislatively like we’re in a crisis moment,” said Dreith. “Lives are on the line as far as freedom goes as we see more and more criminalization for providing and accessing health care.
* Axios reports out of state patients cause backlogs in care and are forcing some to have the procedure later in their pregnancies, when treatment is more intensive and costs are higher…
Experts believe that as clinics struggle with demand, the number of abortions performed after the 13th week of pregnancy — which is around the end of the first trimester — might increase.
The procedures can be harder to obtain, because “as pregnancy progresses, the number of people who are skilled to provide that care further goes down,” Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told Axios.
By the numbers: About 93% of reported abortions in 2019 were performed at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy, 6% were conducted between 14 and 20 weeks and 1% were performed at or after 21 weeks, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At an Illinois clinic, patients from states other than Missouri and Illinois have risen to 40% of cases, compared to 5% before the federal right to abortion was struck down.
* Tennessee already has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies in the country, and abstinence-only sex education is taught in schools, NPR reports…
Abortion restrictions and bans across the South are forcing people to travel hundreds of miles to get the procedure in states that still allow it. It’s a massive barrier, especially for pregnant teenagers. They have to navigate laws around parental permission, too. For years, Tennessee teens traveled to Nashville to get a judge’s permission for an abortion instead of telling their parents. From member station WPLN, Paige Pfleger reports on what options are left for those teens now. […]
PFLEGER: For years, teens traveled from all over Tennessee to ask Judge Calloway for something called a judicial bypass. It was a rarely talked about part of Tennessee law that let young people go to a judge instead of their parents for permission to get an abortion. Calloway would approve about 10 each year. And half the time, she says teens don’t want to tell their families because they were raped or assaulted, sometimes by a family member.
CALLOWAY: There are at least 10 girls in our community each year that will be forced to have a pregnancy that either they’re not ready for, they’re not prepared for, and they’re going to be forced to do so, even if it is a situation as incest, which has happened.
PFLEGER: Tennessee now has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, with no exception for rape, incest or minors, and a narrow legal defense for the life of the pregnant person. Judicial bypasses are off the table. Welty says she cried when she heard the news. She immediately thought of the teens who would still need help and wouldn’t be able to get any.
The women’s health clinic in Bristol, Tennessee, had a seemingly simple solution to continue providing abortions after its home state banned the procedure this summer: It moved a mile up the road to Bristol, Virginia, where abortion remained legal. […]
Abortion is still allowed in Virginia through the second trimester and into the third in limited circumstances. In a recent poll of state residents, half said they believed the state’s abortion laws were reasonable and should not be altered.
But many in Bristol, Virginia, where Republican Donald Trump won 68% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election, were unhappy to see an abortion clinic come to the city of about 17,000 people.
Anthony Farnum, mayor of Bristol, Virginia, soon received dozens of calls, texts and emails from residents asking him to close the clinic. But the mayor explained he had no power to do so as long as Virginia permits abortion.
Friday, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, acting under an order from the Michigan Supreme Court, put a question before voters this November on whether to protect abortion rights in the state constitution.
Last week, the question was sent to the state Supreme Court after Republican canvassers argued the amendment’s spacing and formatting would confuse voters. The group behind the amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, appealed the decision to the state’s highest court. Thursday, the court decided to move it along.
“Ultimately, the system works. It may be put under great stress at times, but it works,” said Republican Michigan Board of State Canvassers Tony Daunt, who followed through on a promise to vote to certify if that’s what the Michigan Supreme Court ordered. Daunt took issue with criticism leveled against the two GOP members for voting not to move the amendment forward. He said the issue of the petition forms had never been addressed before and the court decision set a precedent that future boards would now have to follow.
“It is really important for us to recognize that this is a victory for the people of Michigan who signed in such record numbers,” said Democratic board member Mary Ellen Gurewitz.
* Google Maps routinely misleads people looking for abortion providers, a new analysis by Bloomberg News has found…
In this case, medical doctors and reproductive health advocates said, letting the problem fester while debates rage on could lead to real-world harm. “If Google is a pro-science organization, or even just neutral, they would not want to lead people to these places with false advertising that can be harmful to their lives,” said Allison Cowett, the medical director of Chicago-based Family Planning Associates. “These fake clinics are not on equal footing with folks that are practicing evidence-based medicine.” […]
Cowett, the Chicago doctor, told Bloomberg that there is “absolutely, in bold capital letters” a link between Google Maps providing misleading abortion clinic results and the quality of care women receive in the real world.
She said that in Illinois, which is surrounded by states that have placed limits on abortions, the clinic is booked up for weeks on end. Staff have increased their work hours and scrambled to manage the flood of new appointments booked by patients traveling from states the clinic had never seen on its roster before, including Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
More calls to clinics in places like Illinois means it is much harder to get a staff member on the phone, Cowett said. “That means people looking on the internet, more commonly, and making these appointments online,” she said, including people traveling across state lines for care. “If people are driving 10 or 15 hours to see an abortion provider, it could be devastating for them to make an appointment somewhere which actually does not provide abortion.”
It took 174 years for Chicagoans to elect the first Asian American to sit in the City Council – and nearly two centuries for Illinois voters to send the first member of the community to Congress.
Today, at least nine Asian Americans hold elective offices across the state — two of them representing Illinois in the nation’s capital. And voters will get a chance to dramatically increase those previously slow-growing numbers in elections this year and the next.
At least 22 Asian American candidates are running for offices in the November election and the city elections next year, not to mention others running in other local races across the state.
It’s part of a nationwide trend already unfolding in Virginia, Michigan and Indiana — and reflective of a 2020 Pew Research Center study finding that Asian Americans are becoming the fastest growing segment of eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
This is a very significant shift, and one I’ve been trying to point out for months. It’s possibly as important as the days when Latino politicians were being elected in large numbers. The difference here is that Asian American candidates are not running in majority, or even near-majority districts.
Bailey said that if elected, he would undo the things Pritzker has done while he’s been in office.
“Commonsense tells us to repeal everything that J.B Pritzker has signed into law,” Bailey said. “That is why we are having these problems.”
* Regarding the Proft ad…
A political TV ad titled "The Scream" has aired widely in IL. It's shameful. Victims of crime should never be used as political pawns. Their stories should only be told by them or in ways they've specifically authorized. Statement from advocates @TheCAASE & @CMBWNTheNetwork: 1/6 pic.twitter.com/5168sWd9oS
— Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (@TheCAASE) September 12, 2022
With Labor Day behind us and the summer coming to a close, the residents of Illinois are beginning to focus their attention on the upcoming General Election. I firmly believe that the remaining 62 days should be about the Illinois voters, and ensuring they are given ample opportunity to hear directly from candidates regarding their vision for our state and the office they are seeking.
To that end, I am asking that you join me in participating in three impartial, public and robust debates. Each occasion should provide voters with our detailed visions for the State Treasurer’s Office, and plans to better the lives of all Illinoisans.
To keep the process simple and transparent, and to limit delays to the planning process, I am proposing to use a generally agreed upon format and set of rules for these debates that you will find attached to this letter. Further, I believe each debate should take place a week apart from one another, should be held in geographically diverse locations across the state, and that the media and members of the public should be invited to attend.
More here. Demmer had requested a response by yesterday at 5 pm. Nothing. So, I reached out to the Frerichs campaign…
We are already scheduled to debate in front of the Daily Herald editorial board on September 28th. We are looking forward to it.
I asked if that was really a debate…
When two or more candidates appear together, with a moderator and journalists asking questions, it is a debate.
Thoughts?
* Casten…
U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) has released the following statement regarding the cancellation of the upcoming Drag Queen Bingo program at the Downers Grove Public Library:
“I’m incredibly disheartened to hear that the Downers Grove Public Library is canceling their upcoming event — one meant to celebrate self-identity and self-expression — because Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois created an unsafe environment in our community. They should be ashamed of themselves. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia, and bigotry.
“Let’s be clear. This event was canceled because, after my Republican opponent and his far-right allies at Awake Illinois publicly issued a call-to-action to their supporters, the library received severe threats that endangered our community.
“The 6th District is a place for kindness, love, and decency. Hate has no home here. The fact that Keith Pekau disagrees shows he has no place in public office.”
* CD13…
Last night, it was reported that Senator Lindsey Graham and Senate Republicans planned to introduce legislation mandating a national abortion ban later today. Senator Graham plans to do so with the backing of the radical, anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, an organization whose endorsement of IL13 Republican congressional nominee Regan Deering proudly promotes.
Josh Roesch, campaign manager for Nikki for Congress, said: “For months, Regan Deering has boasted her support from Susan B. Anthony List, despite their mission to end all abortion full stop. Yesterday, they announced a proposal for a national abortion ban, which is the ultimate Republican agenda. Regan must answer if she will reject SBA’s endorsement and their latest proposed legislation.”
Last week, Deering caved on the issue and tried to distance herself away from the organization over their support of a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and other extreme measures.
* G-PAC…
The Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC are announcing their first set of endorsements of gun safety candidates who are running in the upcoming Illinois general election on November 8, 2022.
After vetting each candidate’s voting record, policy platforms and responses to a rigorous questionnaire, the leading gun violence prevention organizations are putting their full support behind 15 candidates running for the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives.
To earn a gun safety endorsement, each candidate demonstrated strong support of the following policies:
Banning assault weapons
Banning large-capacity magazines (LCMs)
Making ghost guns illegal, which G-PAC and Giffords helped pass into law earlier this year
Funding community violence intervention programs
Funding a gun storage public awareness campaign
“Gun violence has become a way of life for Illinois residents and that is unacceptable. In the upcoming election voters are looking for candidates who will stand up to the gun lobby and advance legislation to keep illegal guns and weapons of war out of our communities.” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC). “Gun violence is on the ballot in November and we will work tirelessly to ensure this slate is elected.”
“State legislators have the power and opportunity to make their communities safer from gun violence as they are at the forefront of enacting gun laws that can and do save lives. That’s why we’re proud to be endorsing these gun safety champions today,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “These candidates understand the devastating impact gun violence takes on neighborhoods across Illinois. They stand ready to enact much needed legislation in the effort to end our nation’s gun violence crisis. Today, I am proud to stand behind these candidates who are ready to make Illinois safer for all.”
Illinois just ended a deadly summer with 29 mass shootings, more than 600 expressway shootings, and more than 1,200 people shot in the City of Chicago alone. Endorsed candidates have demonstrated urgency of this public health crisis and their unwavering willingness to do something about it.
Each endorsed candidate supports our #1 legislative priority when the General Assembly is called into session: banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. These weapons of war have been shown to contribute to both city violence and mass shootings.
The first endorsed gun safety candidates in the 2022 election include:
Illinois Senate:
Sen. Laura Ellman (SD 21)
Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (SD 23)
Maria Peterson (SD 26)
Sen. Ann Gillespie (SD 27)
Sen. Laura Murphy (SD 28)
Illinois House of Representatives:
Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (HD 41)
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (HD 42)
Diane Blair-Sherlock (HD 46)
Rep. Maura Hirschauer (HD 49)
Rep. Mark Walker (HD 53)
Mary Beth Canty (HD 54)
Rep. Joyce Mason (HD 61)
Laura Faver Dias (HD 62)
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (HD 81)
Additional announcements are forthcoming on local, state legislative and statewide endorsements.
States invest in public colleges (and give nonprofit status to private ones) to build a better-educated workforce. But what if graduates move away?
The biggest losers of that kind of brain drain are small, rural states — Vermont, West Virginia, New Hampshire — places lacking the urban hubs that offer opportunity to newly minted Bachelors, according to an innovative new data source that uses LinkedIn to estimate how many college graduates stay in-state.
The nation’s capital produces relatively few graduates of its own but draws heavily from the rest of the country, making it one of brain drain’s biggest winners, according to the analysis by economists at the University of North Carolina, the W.E. Upjohn Institute, the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago. The District appears to draw in six times as many graduates as it produces, but data limitations mean that could be an overestimate, the report’s authors say.
While the District is an extreme outlier, it sets a pattern. The other winners are primarily states with cities as large, dynamic and regionally vital as D.C. That would include New York, Washington, California, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Illinois is one of only two states, along with Louisiana, to empower its Supreme Court with the responsibility of appointing interim judges to fill vacancies, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. The Illinois Constitution calls for the interim replacement to run for re-election in a partisan election at least 60 days after their appointment.
(Although Louisiana initially allows the Supreme Court to fill the seat, a special election is called to elect a full-time replacement within a year.)
Because Illinois’ primaries have already occurred and the general election looms in November, [appointed Supreme Court Justice Justice Joy V. Cunningham] won’t face voters until 2024. In fact, of the seven state Supreme Court Justices, only one, Republican David Overstreet, was elected to the court without first receiving an interim appointment.
The process allows the Supreme Court to “replicate itself” by choosing like-minded judges to fill vacancies, University of Illinois College of Law Dean Vikram David Amar and professor Jason Mazzone wrote in a blog post in May.
* The Question: Should Illinois require special elections held within a year for vacancies on the Illinois Supreme Court? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
The industry failed to reach a contract agreement with two unions representing much of the work force, and a federally mandated 30-day “cooling off” period ends on Friday, opening a door to strikes and lockouts. Some freight companies have started to limit services, and Amtrak, which carries many travelers on lines operated by freight railroads, said it would cancel some passenger service starting on Tuesday. […]
Most of the unions agreed to the proposal, pending a vote of their membership. But two major unions are holding out for improvements to working conditions, which they say have steadily worsened in recent years as rail carriers have cut staffing.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division, which represent engineers and conductors, say workers must often stay on call for several days at a time, working 12-hour shifts with little notice, and are penalized for calling in sick.
Together, the two unions represent nearly half the 115,000 freight rail workers covered by the negotiations. While the unions have not committed to striking on Friday, a walkout remains an option, a spokesman said, noting that more than 99 percent of participating members of the locomotive engineers union voted in July to authorize a strike.
Texas has the most miles of railroad tracks of any state but Illinois — and Chicago, in particular — has been the most important hub of US intermodal commerce for more than a century. According to the Association of American Railroads, 25% of all US freight rail traffic and 46% of all intermodal traffic starts, stops or passes through the Chicago region.
While 10 of 12 railroad workers’ unions have struck new labor deals, the two holdouts — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the International Association of Sheet Metal Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers — account for more than 90,000 rail employees. […]
The timing isn’t good for the trains to stop running. Harvest season across the farm belt is approaching, retailers are stocking up for the year-end holidays, and the economy already faces a stretch of weaker growth and high inflation.
The most immediate concern in the event of a rail strike would be for perishable goods. The American Bakers Association said “even a temporary interruption would create a devastating ripple effect” that would create a shortage of materials and ingredients.
Amtrak is canceling trips on some long-distance routes out of Chicago, as the deadline for a possible strike by freight rail workers looms.
Beginning Tuesday, the passenger rail agency is suspending service on routes between Chicago and San Francisco, the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles. Service will also be suspended along part of a fourth route out of Chicago, between Los Angeles and San Antonio, Amtrak said. […]
The cancellations are intended to avoid possible disruptions should freight railroad workers walk out on strike while lengthy trips are underway on the California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief and Texas Eagle routes. Though Amtrak workers are not involved in the ongoing contract negotiations, nearly all of the passenger service’s routes outside the Northeast U.S. run on track that is owned, maintained and dispatched by freight railroads, and a walkout could disrupt passenger service. […]
Federal law bars a freight railroad strike or lockout before Friday, and Congress could intervene and block a work stoppage if the unions and railroads can’t reach a deal by the end of the week.
Jermont Terry reported Monday night, service on nine different Metra lines in the Chicago area could also come to a halt if the strike happens. The tracks on the Metra lines are owned by freight railroad companies – and if the rail unions choose to stop operating the trains, nothing will move on the railroads. That goes for passenger and freight trains alike. […]
The BNSF, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest, and Union Pacific West Metra lines are on tracks owned and directly operated by refight rain companies. Five others intersect with tracks owned by freight partners are dispatched by freight railroads.
The only lines Metra owns, operates, and controls – and that thus would be certain to keep running – are the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines. […]
At issue is the fact that the two key unions representing conductors and engineers have yet to reach a deal. They want better pay, and a better quality of life.
* Freight train workers in Galesburg rallied for better quality of life in July. WQAD…
Representatives from over a dozen unions were at the rally, including Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division Local Vice President Nick Allen.
“We’re just looking for a fair contract for ourselves and our families, looking for the pay raises that we haven’t received since our contract ended in 2020,” Allen said. “We’re just looking to be able to continue to support our families and for what they have to go through for us working on the railroad.”
Workers said companies are also trying to reduce crew members on a train down from two to one, a move they claimed is a safety issue. […]
“We’ve had disasters in Canada, blowing up whole towns with a one-man crew operation,” SMART-TD Illinois Alternate Legislative Director Jordan Boone said. “We run through this town, and we need to be able to get a guy on the ground as soon as possible. And if there’s only one person up there, they can’t get off that motor.”
The railroads are using shippers, consumers, and the supply chain of our nation as pawns in an effort to get our Unions to cave into their contract demands knowing that our members would never accept them. Our Unions will not cave into these scare tactics, and Congress must not cave into what can only be described as corporate terrorism.
Rather than gridlock the supply chain by denying shipments and potentially locking our members out next Friday, the railroads should work towards a fair settlement that our members, their employees, would ratify. For that to happen, we must make improvements to the working conditions that have been on the bargaining table since negotiations began. Penalizing engineers and conductors for getting sick or going to a doctor’s visit with termination must be stopped as part of this contract settlement. Let us repeat that, our members are being terminated for getting sick or for attending routine medical visits as we crawl our way out of a worldwide pandemic.
No working-class American should be treated with this level of harassment in the workplace for simply becoming ill or going to a routine medical visit. Sadly, the Presidential Emergency Board recommendation got it wrong on this issue. As we have said from the day that they were implemented, these policies are destroying the lives of our members, who are the backbone of the railroad industry.
These employment policies have forced thousands of employees out of the industry and make it all but impossible to recruit new workers. With understaffed operations, these railroads abuse their best customers by refusing to provide deliveries consistent with their legal obligations. These self-appointed titans of industry complain constantly about government regulation and interference — except now when it comes to breaking the backs of their employees. It’s time for the federal government to tell the CEO’s who are running the nation’s railroads into the ground that enough is enough. Congress should stay out of the rail dispute and tell the railroads to do what other business leaders do — sit down and bargain a contract that your employees will accept.
While a strike could happen starting Friday, people close to the negotiations tell POLITICO they’re not expecting it — at least not that soon.
“There is this narrative being developed that a work stoppage is inevitable and unions are chomping at the bit,” said a person familiar with the conversations, but not authorized to speak to the press. “My view is that a strike is unlikely, and that the likeliest scenarios are, one, that they reach an 11th hour or 11th hour and 59 minute deal. The second likeliest scenario is they extend the cooling off period so that they can have more time to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s.”
* I’m the oldest of five brothers, so my Uncle Kenny has always been like my older brother. He’s also developmentally disabled. Back in the day, the jocks at his school took him under their wing. Nobody could say anything bad about Kenny or they’d get beaten to a pulp, and he’d be right in there with them. Kenny is the strongest, most generous and loving man I’ve ever known in my life. He’s just a treat to hang out with. He’s overcome so much and has lived a life almost fully in the mainstream, retiring from a state job he held for decades.
Tom Devore is a few years younger than me, but we grew up in about the same era. I was raised in rural Iroquois County, as was my uncle. We had our faults, but we definitely didn’t want people like him around us…
"As for the phrase “window licker,” generally recognized as a derogatory term for an intellectually disabled person, DeVore said he “grew up in a different era.”" https://t.co/EaZ0G3zUUV
Too often, people like this get a pass because they’re deemed as somehow not responsible for what comes out of their mouths. DeVore blames the era he grew up in, instead of the fact that he apparently hasn’t learned anything since then.
Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley is the latest official publicly speaking out against the SAFE-T Act, the abominable Illinois law taking effect statewide on January 1st. Criticism against the law seems to be hitting critical mass as outrage intensifies. The People Who Play By The Rules PAC encourages more officials, States Attorney’s especially, to sound off.
According to his recent special column to the Rockford Register Star, the State’s Attorney for Illinois’ 7th largest county says that “On Jan. 1, 2023, it is estimated that more than half of the inmates in the Winnebago County Jail will walk out the door. Approximately 400 criminal defendants will be released back into our community because our Illinois legislators passed the SAFE-T Act back in 2020.”
PBR PAC President Dan Proft: “I suppose the Winnebago County State’s Attorney is just another fear-mongering racist (like me) according to Governor Pritzker.”
* I asked Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office for a response and she pointed to her comments from a month ago when Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow made essentially the same claims…
To be very clear, the Pre-trial Fairness Act creates a system where detention is based on risk, rather than poverty: that’s why domestic violence groups and other victims’ rights groups support it. There is nothing in the law that requires those suspected of crimes be let out of prison when it goes into effect. There are too many people that have been held not because they’re a risk, but simply because they could not afford monetary bail, and not only does that affect that person in custody but also their family. At the same time, victim’s rights groups have long been concerned that dangerous individuals have been released simply because they could afford to pay bail. Public safety is best addressed by focusing on risk rather than money.
Background
• When the law goes into effect, the State’s Attorney would have the ability to go to court and present evidence as to why a person suspected of a crime should be held, and a judge could rule to hold them.
• The State’s Attorney has seemingly identified 60 people that he believes will pose a risk to public safety if released. That is the first step in preparing for a future bond hearings focusing on the risk factors rather than monetary bail request considerations. The state’s attorneys have time to plan ahead, assessing both the pending and future cases.
• The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force has published draft conditions flowcharts and considerations for use by all law enforcement and criminal justice officials. They are currently accepting suggestions at pretrialtaskforce@illinoiscourts.gov
Ken: When you’ve been around as long as we have, you’ve seen it all.
John: But one thing I thought I’d never see is Illinois’ state government working again.
Rhona: It’s been a mess for years.
John: We had billions in unpaid bills.
Velma: We didn’t even have a budget.
Amy: But JB Pritzker changed things.
Patricia: JB balanced the budget.
John: He’s filling the rainy day fund.
Dorothy: And our credit has been upgraded.
Rhona: Now I really have seen everything.
VO: JB Pritzker, strong leadership for Illinois.
* Budzinski press release…
Today, the Nikki Budzinski for Congress campaign is launching its first broadcast and cable television ads of the general election. The ad, called “Buttinski”, is a conversation between Nikki and a union steelworker from Illinois about Nikki’s focus on rebuilding the middle class, Medicare negotiating prescription drug prices, and tackling inflation.
The ad is centered on the core message of Budzinski’s campaign - an economic message focused on helping working families in Central and Southern Illinois.
Budzinski is the first candidate to begin paid advertising in IL13 - the campaign executed a robust digital buy that began last week. “Buttinski” will run on broadcast in the St. Louis, and Springfield, Decatur, Champaign media markets.
Chris: “I’m excited about Ms Butt-inski here and how she wants to rebuild the middle class.”
Nikki: “Thanks Chris — it’s Budzinski.”
Chris: “Nikki Butt-inski grew up middle class and knows we need to tackle inflation.
She’ll cut taxes for the middle class and let Medicare fully negotiate down the price of prescription drugs.
Nikki Butt-inski will…”
Nikki: “Budzinski.”
Chris: “Well, she may be a bit of a Butt-inski – but she’s on our side.”
Nikki: “I’m Nikki Budzinski and I approve this message.”
State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Il55), the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, made a campaign stop Saturday at the Palestinian American Club of Bridgeview, Illinois where he spoke in front of a map that erased the state of Israel, depicting the entire region as “Palestine.” The map labeled Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, included Yafo but not Tel Aviv, and restored the Golan Heights to Syria.
* Meanwhile, this relatively new Pritzker campaign video already has 670,001 views as of last check, which is in the top five of all his online videos…
*** UPDATE *** Bailey walked it back today, but considering his past behavior, one wonders how long it’ll be before he doubles down or claims he was taken out of context…
I strongly support Israel I always have and I always will. But I will listen to every one who wants to come to the table and talk.
That was a conversation that I had had with them earlier and I told them, they they told me it was unconstitutional. I said if it is we’ll take a look at that.
In an interview with Palestine TV at the event, Bailey also questioned the constitutionality of legislative measures backed by his opponent Governor JB Pritzker to counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
“I’ll always stand on the constitution and it sounds like some of those values are being stepped on right now,” Bailey said in his interview with Palestine TV. “And that makes sense, that’s what’s taking place in every aspect of government with this governor of ours. He doesn’t follow the law, he doesn’t follow the constitution. So the constitution will always be front and center. The Muslim community, the Arab community will always have a seat with me as we learn together, work together, and live together.”
* The Martin Luther King, Jr. statue near the Statehouse was “toppled over” last night, according to Beth Kaufman at the Secretary of State’s office.
A person is in custody, but has not yet been formally charged. The statue is currently at a state warehouse being “assessed for damage,” Kaufman said. According to Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) there’s video of the alleged crime. Rep. Butler took this photo today of the empty pedestal…
I really hate people sometimes.
*** UPDATE *** According to Ms. Kaufman, Fernando Garcia Martinez, 24, has been formally charged with criminal damage to state supported property, which is a felony. He’s currently at the Sangamon County Jail.
…Adding… I’m told Martinez “has no address,” so it’s unknown at this time where he’s from. Bail will be determined tomorrow during a court hearing.
DeVore, 53, a small-town attorney who has the words “liberty” and “freedom” tattooed on his forearms, received his law degree from Saint Louis University and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2011.
* The Question: Do you have any tattoos? Explain either way.
Most Illinois taxpayers will soon be getting onetime income and property tax rebates from the state.
Distribution of the money to qualifying residents starts Monday. […]
Who qualifies? You must have been an Illinois resident in 2021 with an adjusted gross income on your 2021 Form IL-1040 filing under $200,000 for individual filers and under $400,000 for those who filed as couples.
How much is the rebate? Taxpayers who filed their tax returns as a single person will be eligible to receive $50. Couples who filed joint returns are eligible to get $100. If you have dependents, there’s an additional $100 per dependent, to a maximum of $300.
On top of the income tax rebates, some homeowners may receive more assistance.
Qualified property owners will receive a rebate equal to the property tax credit claimed on their 2021 IL-1040 form, with a maximum payment of up to $300. To be eligible, you must have paid Illinois property taxes in 2021 on your primary residence and your adjust gross income must be $500,000 or less if filing jointly. If filing alone, your income must be $250,000 or less.
Rebates will be distributed in the method that your original income tax refund was sent, according to the state of Illinois website. If you did not receive a refund, did not file an Illinois income tax return, or are requesting the property tax rebate separately, then your rebate will be sent by paper check.
As is the situation with the income tax rebates, property owners who completed the IL-1040 form will receive rebates automatically. If you didn’t, though, there’s no need to worry.
* Pritzker press release…
The rebate payments, which will take at least eight weeks to be issued in total, will be sent automatically to Illinois residents who filed 2021 state income taxes and claimed a property tax credit. Those who have not filed can still access the rebates after completing additional filing. […]
“I’m very pleased to announce that we remain on schedule and the first wave of tax rebate checks will be going out to taxpayers beginning today,” Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza said. “My Office will be working diligently to get these rebates into the hands of taxpayers. After all, it’s your money. A total of $1.2 billion dollars will be released over the next 6-8 weeks to nearly 6 million taxpayers.”
“If direct deposit was used, the rebates will be deposited directly into taxpayers’ accounts,” said Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) Director David Harris. “If there was no refund or a paper refund was issued, the rebate will be mailed to the address on file. Taxpayers who did not receive a refund directly from the state of Illinois, such as those who received an advancement of their refund from their preparer, will receive a paper rebate check mailed to the address on file.”
* If you watched the Bears game yesterday, you may have seen that “Scream” ad put out by Dan Proft’s PAC. Click here if you missed it or didn’t see it posted on the blog last week. Gov. Pritzker was asked today about his thoughts on the ad…
Pritzker: Look, it’s terrible. It’s a terrible commercial. They’ve chosen a particular crime in which there was a white woman who is the victim and apparently Black perpetrators. That’s the ad they want people to see, particularly in the suburbs. That’s part of the entire racial tinge of everything that’s being put out by that PAC.
And let’s also take note, at least this morning, I think I read that the victim may not have approved of any of this and probably should have been consulted about her crime being put all over television, the crime that was perpetrated against her. I think it’s disgusting and I’ve said that before.
…You want to talk about crime? Let’s talk about crime. Darren Bailey sanctions these kinds of ads, thinks they’re okay, has accepted the support of that PAC. And Darren Bailey is the one who voted to defund police, literally voted against budgets that would fund State Police for Illinois, the increase in state police that we need, voted against providing new crime labs so we can solve crimes faster. Those crime labs are the ones that have eliminated the rape kit backlog in our state. Darren Bailey voted against all of the things that would reduce crime, preventing violent crime. So, you know, he talks out of one side of his mouth, and then he’s okay accepting support from people who were putting forward racially charged ads that are attacks about crime, that, frankly, he’s responsible more than many others for.
Q: Are you saying the commercial is racist?
Pritzker: I’m saying that the intent of the people who put it out, look at all the things that they’re involved in, clearly has a racial tinge to it.
This was an independent expenditure, so Darren Bailey is not supposed to play a role in the ad. The governor seems to be more than just suggesting otherwise, but hasn’t offered up proof.
* I told subscribers about this earlier today, but here’s Dan Proft’s response when I asked if he’d obtained permission to use the footage from either CWBChicago or from the victim featured in the ad…
Chicagoland news stations broadcast the same video. CWBChicago put it up on its site. That’s where we obtained it. It is public domain material just as is anything else posted by any media outlet so long as it is not being used by a third party for commercial purposes, which this isn’t.
Attribution is not synonymous with endorsement. This is well-established. You see proper attribution to media outlets as the source of material all the time in political ads. In fact, people get criticized when they air content that makes claims that doesn’t have attribution.
All PBR PAC did was air video aired by news stations across Chicagoland and connect the dots to the responsible parties for the unchecked violence in Chicago, and soon via the SAFE-T Act, the rest of Illinois.
It’s holding pols responsible for the violence and mayhem they induce through their anti-police, anti-prosecution policies that has their friends in the media doing their performative pearl-clutching. Period.
* From the Pritzker campaign…
Illinoisans of all backgrounds can agree that exploiting an act of violence without permission from, or any compassion for, the victim is reprehensible. Darren Bailey should call on Dan Proft to stop running these ads and he should demand that his largest donor, Dick Uihlein, stop funding them. Their complete lack of empathy is shameful and our state deserves better.
I’ve asked the Bailey campaign for comment and will post it if I receive one.
…Adding… Bailey campaign…
Rich, JB doesn’t want to face the fact that he is keeping Illinoisans less safe. That’s why he doesn’t like the AD on the air. Does he have a response to this [person] being robbed in the middle of the day at 11AM.
* We’ve been talking about all of these things and more for quite a while here, but the Tribune finally put some of them together in one piece headlined “GOP attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore has record of taking critics to court, including his girlfriend’s mom and Gov. J.B. Pritzker”…
While running for a downstate school board seat five years ago, Republican Illinois attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore complained in a Facebook post about students who struggled to make correct change at a concession stand during a basketball game.
“Lord help us with the window lickers, I mean special children,” DeVore, a civil attorney from Sorento, wrote.
People critical of DeVore’s post shared it more widely and in one case urged area residents to contact his law office. DeVore proceeded to file a libel lawsuit in Montgomery County against three people, including a local special education teacher, alleging they had falsely accused him of ridiculing “children with ‘special needs.’”
* Speaking of DeVore, he highlighted this button on his Facebook page yesterday…
I kinda think I want one.
* Here we go again…
Last edition alleged Pritzker planned to release criminals of color into white neighborhoods. New edition alleges Pritzker plans to populate your schools with perverts. Coordinated with Bailey campaign text. #twillpic.twitter.com/b2×4dM5iT6
Chris Dargis, Republican candidate for Congress in Illinois, was a key advisor to PAR Technology, a New York-based “global provider of restaurant software” which has sourced products from a factory using alleged Uyghur forced labor.
Dargis is taking on Raja Krishnamoorthi, three-term sitting Indian American Democrat in Illinois’s 8th congressional district, in the Nov. 8 midterm election.
* Catalina Lauf has scrubbed her campaign website of abortion references. Up until very recently, this was on the 11th Congressional District Republican nominee’s “Issues” page, via the WayBack Machine…
* We talked last week about a Democratic ad whacking 17th Congressional District Republican nominee Esther Joy King. A TV news fact-check of the ad found one attack misfired because Politico made what turned out to be a false claim. Another fell through because the Democratic PAC didn’t look far enough back in the records. And two were true.
* IL AFL-CIO…
Alyssa Goodstein has joined the Illinois AFL-CIO as Communications Director, effective September 1. Alyssa will focus on building the organization’s statewide and federal strategic communications efforts, while working with local affiliates to develop public affairs programs.
“We are excited to have Alyssa leading our communications team, bringing a creative eye and breadth of experience to the table,” said Tim Drea, President of the IL AFL-CIO. “Most recently, Alyssa served as Deputy Chief of Communications to Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia. In this capacity, she advised on message development, managed media relations and crisis communications for a citywide office serving 2.69 million constituents.”
Previously, Alyssa was Chief of Staff to Illinois State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-6), running Feigenholtz’s district and Springfield operations. She was also one of the ten original staff members on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s primary campaign, developing outreach and field strategy that contributed to the mayor’s historic victory. In addition to her work with the federation, Alyssa is the LGBTQ+ Caucus Director for Young Democrats of Illinois, building relationships with stakeholders throughout the state to enhance LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts.
A native Californian, Alyssa holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA and earned her Master of Arts from the University of Chicago in 2018.
* PPIA…
Today, the Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) Board of Directors, the non-partisan political and advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, announces its endorsement of Alexi Giannoulias for Illinois Secretary of State.
“We are endorsing Alexi Giannoulias because we must remain vigilant to keep abortion safe and legal in Illinois,” said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of PPIA. “Giannoulias has been a long-time champion of this fight to preserve and expand abortion access. Giannoulias recognizes that abortion bans disproportionately impact the people who already face the greatest barriers to health care, including Black, LatinX, Indigenous folks, disabled people, young people, people in rural areas and immigrants. He will work tirelessly to protect the right and access to care for those already having difficulty making ends meet.”
Giannoulias said, “I am honored to receive Planned Parenthood Illinois Action’s endorsement. I have always been pro-choice and have always supported access to reproductive health care. Now more than ever, I am committed to defending everyone’s freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions. I want to make sure that no politician or government agency has the power to interfere with the right to obtain an abortion in the state of Illinois.”
Since the SCOTUS ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, Giannoulias has worked with state Rep. Ann Williams (D-11) and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-14) to develop legislation aimed at protecting the privacy of people who travel for reproductive health care.
PPIA endorses candidates based on their reproductive health care policies and their commitment to protecting the health and rights of all Illinoisans. A full list of PPIA endorsements and more information is available at ppiaction.org.
* Rep. Wheeler…
Representative Keith Wheeler today announces a coalition of job creators endorsing his candidacy in the 83rd District House race. The Illinois Chamber, Illinois Farm Bureau-Activator, NFIB Illinois, and the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) endorse Wheeler over Hanson for the Illinois House in the General Election on November 8.
“Our members support candidates who support small business. Representative Keith Wheeler has shown that he understands the challenges facing Illinois’ job creators,” said NFIB State Director Chris Davis. “Our members believe Keith Wheeler will continue his good work to create, protect, and maintain an environment where small businesses can thrive and create jobs.”
“Small business owners and job creators here in the Fox Valley and all across Illinois are doing incredible work to grow our economy,” Wheeler said. “As a state representative and a business owner, myself, I feel a special connection with these folks and an obligation to do everything I can to redirect state policies to make it easier for small businesses to do what they do best - create Illinois jobs for Illinois families.”
* DuPage…
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces that the DuPage County Fairgrounds’ main parking lot will be completely repaved in 2023 thanks to a $585,000 polling place accessibility grant from the Illinois State Board of Elections. A portion of the parking lot was already repaved in 2022 thanks to an initial state grant of $149,000. The Fairgrounds serves as DuPage County’s most popular polling place during Early Voting and Election Day.
“Nearly 34,000 people voted at the Fairgrounds during the 2020 General Election. Voters returning in 2022 will already notice a night-and-day difference in the condition of the main parking lot from funding from the first grant,” Kaczmarek says. “Many of the bumps, potholes, gravel and puddles near the polling place are already gone. We’re pleased that this latest grant was approved so the lot can be completed.”
I was pretty skeptical when I first started reading that, but it sounds like a win/win.
Chief Justice Anne M. Burke has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court. Her last day on the bench will be November 30, 2022. Chief Justice Burke has served on the Supreme Court since 2006 and has served as Chief Justice since October 2019. Her term as Chief Justice concludes on October 25, 2022. Justice Burke’s full statement on her retirement is available here.
“I have been blessed to serve as a Supreme Court Justice for the past 16 years and have loved working with my staff, colleagues and Judicial Branch staff to serve the people of Illinois,” Chief Justice Burke said. “The past three years as Chief Justice have been a challenging time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I am thrilled with the progress made by the Illinois Courts.”
The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to fill interim judicial vacancies and has appointed First District Appellate Justice Joy V. Cunningham to fill the seat vacated by Chief Justice Burke. Justice Cunningham, whose term is effective December 1, 2022, through December 2, 2024, will be the second Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. The first, Justice Lisa Holder White, was appointed earlier this year.
“I am grateful to the Supreme Court for the trust it has placed in me by allowing me to continue to serve the people of the State of Illinois as a Justice of our Supreme Court. I will do my best to serve with humility, integrity and compassion and always remember why I am there – to serve the people,” Justice Cunningham said. “We have a distinguished Supreme Court in Illinois, and I am proud to have the opportunity to serve alongside these exceptional public servants. I am pleased to live in a state and a country in which my contributions are valued and my opportunities are limitless.” […]
Justice Joy V. Cunningham has served as a First District Appellate Court Justice since 2006 and currently serves as Chair of the Executive Committee. She has served on and chaired the Settlement Committee and serves on the Orientation Committee for new justices. She spent a decade on the Education Committee and chaired the court’s Judicial Performance Committee. She currently co-chairs the First District’s Diversity Committee.
Justice Cunningham received her Bachelor of Science from the City University of New York and earned her Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School. She began her career in 1982 as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. She went on to be a law clerk to First District Appellate Court Justice Glenn T. Johnson. For 10 years she was the Associate General Counsel and Chief Counsel for HealthCare at Loyola University where she established, directed, and managed Loyola University’s in-house healthcare legal division.
In 1996, Justice Cunningham was sworn in as an Associate Judge in Cook County Circuit Court where she was assigned to the civil trial division. She left the bench in 2000 to serve as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare where she reported and provided counsel to the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. She returned to the bench in December 2006 as an elected First District Appellate Court Justice and was retained by voters in 2016.
Her professional associations include the Chicago Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, the Black Women Lawyers Association, the Illinois Judicial Council, the Illinois Judges Association, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chicago Network, the CBA Past Presidents’ Council, the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Foundation.
Justice Cunningham was the first African American woman elected President of the Chicago Bar Association, the nation’s largest municipal bar association. Her awards include the John Paul Stevens Award, the Earl Burrus Dickerson Award, the Mary Heftel Hooten Award, and the Torchbearer Award.
I ran into the Chief Justice at an event the other day and she talked a little about finishing out her term as the state’s top judge, but gave no indication that she was planning to step down from the Court.
Maybe her husband will finally take the hint and retire as well.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that Justice Mary Jane Theis will be its next Chief Justice. Justice Theis was selected by the Court to serve a three-year term commencing October 26, 2022. She succeeds Justice Anne M. Burke whose tenure as Chief Justice began in October of 2019.
An installation ceremony marking Justice Theis’ selection as Chief Justice will be held at the Supreme Court Building in Springfield during the Court’s November Term.
“I would like to thank my colleagues for giving me this opportunity to serve the people of Illinois as Chief Justice,” Justice Theis said. “I would also like to congratulate Justice Burke for her successful term as Chief and her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with the bench, bar and community at large to further the Court’s mission of providing access to equal justice, ensuring judicial integrity and upholding the rule of law. Our goal continues to be increasing public trust and confidence in the courts.”
Justice Theis will be the fourth woman to serve as Chief Justice following the late Justice Mary Ann McMorrow, Justice Rita B. Garman, and Justice Burke. She will be the 122nd Chief Justice in Illinois history.
* McLean County’s largest school district recently denied four resignations submitted by tenured special education teachers weeks before the first day of school. WGLT…
Unit 5 has invoked a rarely used state statute that allows school districts to reject teacher resignations in certain circumstances.
McLean County’s largest district denied four resignations, submitted by special education teachers weeks before the first day of school. Two of the teachers agreed to stay for the 2022-2023 school year.
But for two others who ignored the warning, Andrea Jefferson and Emily Andris, who left to teach elsewhere, their teaching licenses now are in jeopardy. […]
What’s at issue here is Illinois statutes in place that apply to tenured teachers during the school term: A district has the right to reject a tenured teacher’s resignation if that means the teacher would leave during the school term to take a teaching job at a different school district. […]
That critical need for special education services was key in Unit 5’s decision, said Baldwin. The district already had four vacancies in special education. The newly-submitted four resignations would have doubled the shortage.
While districts across the state report slight and sporadic shortages, there is little dispute that there continues to be a shortage of special & bilingual education, along with world languages, agriculture, and some secondary sciences teachers. And, according to Liam Chan Hodges, Media Coordinator for Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), “These current shortages have a disproportionate impact on chronically struggling schools, underfunded schools, and schools serving low-income communities.” The shortages hit hardest where the need is often the greatest – and simply doing more of what we’ve done in the past will not solve the issue.
* Some suburban school districts’ solutions to the special education and language teacher shortage is substitutes, ABC7 reports…
Superintendents around the area say the main problem they are encountering is that they simply don’t have enough qualified people applying for the positions they have open, most of which appear to be special ed, bilingual and dual-language teachers. […]
Around 35,000 students returned to the classroom in School District U-46, the second largest in the state, including Elgin as well as 10 other surrounding communities. But even as students begin to shake off the summer cobwebs, many will be taught by substitutes, for now.
“We still have around 100 teacher vacancies,” District U-46 Supt. Tony Sanders said. “We’re able to fill those. We have retirees. We have long-term subs. We have lots of people to step in to fill those roles.”
Most of U-46’s vacancies are for dual language and special ed teachers.[…]
It’s a similar story in Joliet’s Public School District 86, where students will be welcomed back on Wednesday. They are still short about 20 full-time teachers, and the Illinois State Board of Education will only allow districts to use subs for 30 days at a time in a single classroom.
* Illinois State Board of Education’s statement to ABC 7…
Like many states across the country, Illinois is currently experiencing a teacher shortage. In the hopes of better understanding this shortage, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) conducted an analysis to understand the specific students and communities most impacted by teacher vacancies. This analysis found that the current shortage has a disproportionate impact on chronically struggling schools, underfunded schools, and schools serving low-income communities, as well as specific subject areas including special education and bilingual education. The data reinforce the importance of equity as the driving strategy for continuing to strengthen the teacher pipeline in Illinois.
To help address the shortage of substitute teachers, ISBE has instituted changes to expand the pipeline for substitute teachers. For example, in addition to any individual with a bachelor’s degree, we also now allow those enrolled in an Illinois approved educator preparation program who have completed 90 semester hours of coursework to substitute teach beginning January 1, 2023. We have also waived the $25 application fee during public health emergencies, such as the current covid-19 pandemic, so individuals can get licensed to sub completely for free. Short-term substitutes can also teach up to 15 consecutive days, instead of the usual five, for up to 120 days for school year 2022-23.
The state has also employed several other strategic initiatives, which have proven to be effective in growing the teacher workforce, raising enrollment in educator preparation programs, and increasing teacher retention rates. […]
As a result of these initiatives, and others, the teacher workforce in Illinois has grown year-over-year since 2018, adding more than 5,000 new teachers to the profession. The state also saw an 11 percent increase in enrollment in educator preparation programs between 2019 and 2020, and last year teacher retention rates rose to over 87 percent, the highest since 2014.
This school year, 48 states, including Hawaii, reported shortages of special education teachers to the federal government.
The shortage is so severe that Hawaii is one of several states that rely on teachers without licenses in special education to teach some of the highest needs students — like those who do not speak and those with challenging behaviors.
But Hawaii’s pay increase [$10,000 per year for special ed teachers], which began in 2020, was a game changer. Before the incentive, in October 2019, almost 30% of the state’s special education positions were vacant or staffed by teachers without appropriate licenses, district data shows. By October 2021, that number dropped by half, to about 15%.
If the SAFE-T Act were in place a violent criminal like Drew Peterson – who is being held on murder charges and was caught on tape planning the murder of Glasgow himself – would have been on the street.
“If you go back to his murder trial, he was in jail for three years on a $20 million bond,” Glasgow said. “That’s the most difficult prosecution I’ve ever handled. And there’s no way in the world that I would have weathered that storm had he been out of jail. In fact, on the overhear when he was captured by the FBI, when they were discussing my murder, he said if he was out on the street, he’d take care of it himself. And then he referenced back to ‘07 when it all started that he was going to take care of it then but he couldn’t slip the media and the police. So there’s real danger at all levels here when violent offenders cannot be held.”
Upon verified petition by the State, the court shall hold a hearing and may deny a defendant pretrial release only if:
(1) the defendant is charged with a forcible felony offense for which a sentence of imprisonment, without probation, periodic imprisonment or conditional discharge, is required by law upon conviction, and it is alleged that the defendant’s pretrial release poses a specific, real and present threat to any person or the community.
Since Peterson was caught on tape saying he wanted to murder Glasgow, that would be a pretty darned specific, real and present threat to a person.
(2) the defendant is charged with stalking or aggravated stalking and it is alleged that the defendant’s pre-trial release poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of a victim of the alleged offense, and denial of release is necessary to prevent fulfillment of the threat upon which the charge is based;
(3) the victim of abuse was a family or household member as defined by paragraph (6) of Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, and the person charged, at the time of the alleged offense, was subject to the terms of an order of protection issued under Section 112A-14 of this Code, or Section 214 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 or previously was convicted of a violation of an order of protection under Section 12-3.4 or 12-30 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or a violent crime if the victim was a family or household member as defined by paragraph (6) of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 at the time of the offense or a violation of a substantially similar municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States if the victim was a family or household member as defined by paragraph (6) of Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 at the time of the offense, and it is alleged that the defendant’s pre-trial release poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person or persons;
(4) the defendant is charged with domestic battery or aggravated domestic battery under Section 12-3.2 or 12-3.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 and it is alleged that the defendant’s pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person or persons;
(5) the defendant is charged with any offense under Article 11 of the Criminal Code of 2012, except for Sections 11-30, 11-35, 11-40, and 11-45 of the Criminal Code of 2012, or similar provisions of the Criminal Code of 1961 and it is alleged that the defendant’s pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person or persons;
* Some more alleged crimes that can get people held pre-trial…
(A)ggravated discharge of a firearm; aggravated discharge of a machine gun or a firearm equipped with a device designed or use for silencing the report of a firearm; reckless discharge of a firearm; armed habitual criminal; manufacture, sale or transfer of bullets or shells represented to be armor piercing bullets, dragon’s breath shotgun shells, bolo shells or flechette shells; unlawful sale or delivery of firearms; unlawful sale or delivery of firearms on the premises of any school; unlawful sale of firearms by liquor license; unlawful purchase of a firearm; gunrunning; irearms trafficking; involuntary servitude; involuntary sexual servitude of a minor; trafficking in persons; unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the Custody of the Department of Corrections facilities; aggravated unlawful use of a weapon; aggravated possession of a stolen firearm.
We finally obtained a copy of the settlement agreement in the lawsuit where Senator Michael Hastings was sued, along with the Illinois Senate, for discrimination and harassment against Cassandra Matz, a former employee of Sen. Hastings.
In the settlement agreement, Hastings and the Senate deny any wrongdoing but agree to pay a total of $100,000 to Matz and her attorneys.
The settlement also:
• prohibits Matz from disclosing the settlement (a gag agreement) to anyone,
• prohibits the filing or use of the settlement in any court
• agrees to file a Stipulation to Dismiss in the court stating that each party shall bear their own attorney fees, costs, or expenses (kind of flies in the face of the $100,000 payment)
This leads us to think there are wider harassment issues in the Illinois government than simply this lawsuit, which by all appearances attempts to make the public think it was dismissed and no payments were made.
* I told subscribers about the $100,000 payout last week, but here’s WBEZ today…
And those were not the only costs to taxpayers from that legal battle. The state also hired a private attorney who represented Hastings — with the payments to the outside counsel’s firm adding up to nearly $47,000, according to records obtained by WBEZ.
Still, a veteran environmental lobbyist in Springfield told WBEZ that Kathleen Hastings’s complaint to police — and what she says are her own personal experiences of being bullied repeatedly by Michael Hastings in professional interactions — have led her to decide she would no longer lobby him and to call for his resignation from the Senate.
Jen Walling, the longtime executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said in an interview last week that Hastings had yelled at her, pounded his hands on a table in a Capitol meeting room and approached her in a menacing manner during disagreements over legislation in Springfield in the past five years.
“He clearly, to me, in observing him, has had serious issues with anger management that aren’t appropriate for the workplace where we are making laws for the state of Illinois,” Walling said. […]
But in a written statement sent to WBEZ, Hastings spokesman Ray Hanania said Walling was “not being honest,” and Hanania suggested her accusations and other complaints against Hastings recently — including those stemming from the senator’s marital problems — were designed to hurt his reelection bid. […]
Hastings’s spokesman, Hanania, said Walling “is the bully. And she is not being honest. Hastings has been the sponsor of the most sweeping environmental legislation we have seen.”
Yeah, that attack ain’t gonna fly, dude. Stay tuned.
…Adding… I asked Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson if Harmon had a comment…
We are just seeing this article, and at this time we do not.
…Adding… Sen. Napoleon Harris has released a statement in support of Sen. Hastings…
“With the statements made by Jen Walling, I cannot sit by and allow her misleading and false political rhetoric to go without a response.
“First, how coincidental that Ms. Walling decides to make a statement two months before an election. I have known Mike Hastings to be one of the most upstanding, professional, and honest legislators in the Illinois Senate. As the Chairman of the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee, he helped champion one of the most sweeping clean energy pieces of legislation in the nation and has fought to implement diversity hiring requirements throughout the utility industry.
“Second, there is an unknown truth to Ms. Walling and the manner in which she conducts her business. She is one of the most abrasive and disrespectful lobbyists in Springfield. She is a bully. When trying to advance a piece of legislation that would help the South Suburbs and the 17th District, she literally threatened to organize local people in my community against me along with threatening to protest my office location. I know that she did the same to Senator Hastings in his district when she did not get her way.
“Jen Walling does not have the slightest clue about the best interests of Harvey or the South Suburbs, for that matter. However, when she does not get her way or someone does not agree with her demands, she either threatens you or bullies you to get what she wants. In this instance, she should be ashamed of herself and reflect on the way she conducts business.
Walling flatly denies the protest threat. She doesn’t deny asking constituents to contact their lawmakers, which is pretty common. The issue in question was SB1104, a bill pushed by the fossil fuel industry.
That Napo comment is just weird, man.
…Adding… ILGOP…
Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings continues to blame everyone but himself for his problems, like the inexcusable domestic violence allegations and the taxpayer-funded defense of alleged discrimination and retaliation against a former staffer. Meanwhile, Hastings’ Democratic colleagues have been either completely silent on his alleged misconduct or, in some cases, have even come to his defense.
Senator Napoleon Harris went so far as to defend Hastings, saying in a statement he was, “one of the most upstanding, professional, and honest legislators in the Illinois Senate.”
According to the police report as quoted in WBEZ, Hastings’ wife, “advised on 11-09-2020, Michael battered her, by placing her in a chokehold/neck restraint, and slammed her body into a door multiple times.” What has Hastings himself had to say?
Instead of taking responsibility for these deplorable allegations, Hastings has attempted to deflect time and again.
According to WBEZ, “Records show Hastings called two different police departments and unsuccessfully sought to have his wife arrested and charged two months ago in a dispute over visitation rights. In addition to denying his wife’s allegations of domestic-battery, he also sued south suburban Frankfort for allegedly leaking the report containing those allegations.”
According to the Chicago Tribune last month, Hastings accused the police report of being, “intentionally leaked to the news media in a sinister attempt to influence the elections, hurt me politically by tarnishing my reputation, and turning the divorce around to blame the divorce on me by using these false domestic violence accusations.”
While Hastings and his colleagues dodge and deflect, Illinois taxpayers are left to pick up the tab for his state-funded settlement and legal fees, to the tune of nearly $150,000.
“Senator Hastings’ colleagues should be ashamed of their silence. He has lashed out against everybody while using our tax dollars to do so. It’s time for Illinois Democrats to step up and condemn Hastings for these allegations unbefitting of anyone, let alone a public servant,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
I was looking for something else recently on Scott Kennedy’s Illinois Election Data website and noticed he had voter turnout numbers from statewide races since 1990.
We all know that Downstate has lost a significant amount of its political importance, but the numbers really help illustrate this decline.
In 1990, 42% of the total vote for governor came from Downstate counties, while a mere 17% came from the suburban collar counties outside Cook.
By 2018, just 36% of the total vote for governor came from Downstate and 25% was from the collars. When you expand the definition of the collar counties to include some in the Chicago metro region that had previously been considered more rural, the Downstate figure drops to 31% and the share of the collar county vote rises to 29%.
I happened to be talking with former Gov. Jim Edgar about something else shortly after seeing those numbers, and when I brought it up he said in those days, Republicans would figure on being stomped in the city, but they’d win Cook and the collar county suburbs and then the margin Downstate would wind up being pretty close to the statewide spread.
In Edgar’s first gubernatorial election in 1990, that’s just what happened. He lost Chicago by 33 points, won suburban Cook by 18, won the collars by 27 and took Downstate by 3, winning overall that year by just under 3 percentage points.
Edgar focused intently on the suburbs, campaigning on a promise to cap local property taxes and highlighting his strong support of abortion rights, among other things the voters in that region cared about.
By 2018, Chicago and suburban Cook County made up almost the same percentage share of the total vote for governor as in 1990, declining only by about a percentage point. The difference, though, is the Cook County suburbs are now firmly in Democratic control. Edgar won them by 18 points back in the day, but J.B. Pritzker won them by 29 points in 2018. That’s a 47-point swing.
The collars have leaned Democratic during presidential years since Barack Obama’s national bid in 2008 and gradually started trending more Democratic in off-year races, culminating in Pritzker’s three-point collar county win over Bruce Rauner in 2018 and historic county-wide Democratic wins in the region both that year and in 2020.
Downstate has become much more reliable for Republicans. No statewide Democrat except Secretary of State Jesse White has won the region for the past 10 years. Obama won it in 2008 by four points but lost Downstate four years later by seven, an 11-point flip. Pritzker lost it by 10 points four years ago.
But the increase in Republican identification in the region has not been enough to make up for its falling vote share and the party’s more recent disadvantages in the suburbs. Pat Quinn lost Downstate by 24 points in 2010 and still managed to eke out a narrow victory, after all.
Partisan red meat works well in Downstate, and Republican gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Darren Bailey will likely run up his numbers there, but it definitely doesn’t work in the suburbs.
Bailey has spent much of his campaign ignoring this basic Illinois electoral math and crafting an under-funded message that, if anything, almost appears to be designed to turn away those collar county voters. It’s impossible to win statewide by running up the score in a region that contains barely more than a third of the vote while turning off, and even firing up opposition in, the rest of the state.
Bailey’s recent “kitchen table” policy proposal is to require the University of Illinois’ flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign to guarantee 90% of its enrollment is made up of Illinois residents.
Other states have similar requirements mainly because of pressure from parents, and many of those folks live in the suburbs.
When Bruce Rauner was governor and universities struggled without a state budget, UIUC and other campuses were left to their own devices. The fiscal situation was only marginally better under Pat Quinn. Rauner took a fiscal crisis and turned it into a calamity.
State finances are better now, so perhaps it is time to start discussing the use of large numbers of international students to subsidize tuition for everyone else.
But, on the politics side, Bailey is gonna need infinitely more than this to overcome his geographical and ideological deficits.
Earlier this year, Burr Ridge hosted asylum-seeking refugees from Afghanistan who have now found permanent housing and employment, according to [Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso]. Those families also stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites, he said.
“Being a place for refugees to come sounds like immigration — it’s not the hotel business,” Grasso said, sharing that he has been in touch with hotel staff. “We would likely not let you open a hotel if you tell us that you’re going to be housing refugees as your primary source of business.”
* Meanwhile, from a CBS 2 reporter…
I said it when WGN did the same story earlier this week and I'll say it again now: they don't need to notify the mayor to provide humanitarian aid, and any insinuation that they do is at best a racist dog whistle.
The ABC 7 story in question is basically just a copy and paste of Mayor Johnson’s press release without any sort of label. Click here for the press release and click here for the station’s rewrite.
Also, while there may not be any need to notify the mayors, that particular mayor was notified in advance and he still complained.
