In the basement of a Centralia funeral home in a dark hallway off the embalming room, tucked inside a nook behind two steel plates and a door, a visitor found three disembodied, neatly wrapped human legs, two of them marked with names and dated to the 1960s.
The discovery stunned property owner Cindy Hansen, who had been cleaning up at the site of the former Moran Queen-Boggs funeral home for weeks. After all, she’d seen her last tenant evicted, his funeral director license suspended for the home’s filthy conditions – which included a dead rat in a stairwell.
But as the shock dissipated on what first appeared to be a grisly find, a more mundane explanation materialized – the legs were likely the result of amputations, stored away decades ago until their owners died and they could be reunited and interred together, said Jay Boulanger, who has operated a funeral home in Highland for decades. […]
The discovery was made at the former funeral home operated by Hugh Moran in recent years, but he surrendered his license in March after state regulators found his facility in deplorable condition. But the hidden nature of the room and the fact that two of the legs were dated decades before Moran operated the facility indicate he was not involved in placing them there. […]
The conditions at Moran’s funeral home became public within months of a discovery that a Carlinville funeral home provided the wrong ashes to at least 80 families, spawning lawsuits and legislation.
* ACLU…
By passing House Bill 4781 (the KIND Act), the Illinois House is making sure that our state’s family regulation system prioritizes the interests of youth in that system. For too long, Illinois policy has failed to recognize the valuable role played by relatives who step in to care for youth when DCFS removes these children from their parents. The KIND Act recognizes the positive role these relatives play in the lives of children – whose lives have been disrupted – and provides the same resources to care for the child made available to foster parents who may well be strangers.
Research shows that placing youth in the family regulation system with relatives, rather than strangers acting as foster parents, is good policy. Staying with a family member lessens trauma of family separation, reduces the number of times a child is moved, enhances permanency options if youth cannot be reunified, results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care, and delivers better social, behavioral, mental health, and educational outcomes for youth than when they are placed in non-kin foster care.
We thank Representative Marcus Evans for his leadership in securing passage of the KIND Act in the House. We look forward to continuing this momentum in the Senate in the remaining weeks of the session.
*** Statehouse ***
* Guy A. Medaglia | Gov J.B. Pritzker goes after insurance companies. What about the state itself?: Our hospital in 2020 sued the state of Illinois. It wasn’t an easy decision. No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them. But the managed care system is breaking us. The state is fighting our lawsuit at every turn. Fortunately, the courts have stepped in to protect us. A federal appeals court recently ruled that our lawsuit has a right to proceed. The hospital “depends on full, timely Medicaid payments to keep its doors open and provide care to patients,” the ruling judges wrote.
*** Statewide ***
* WBEZ | Planned Parenthood offers abortion pills via app to expand access in Illinois: Patients who are up to 10 weeks pregnant can fill out screening questions on the Planned Parenthood Direct app any time of the day and provide an Illinois address where their medication abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol would be mailed if they qualify. That could be a house, or a hotel. Some Planned Parenthood affiliates already mail pills to patients, but require at least a virtual visit with a medical provider first.
* ProPublica | Even when a cop is killed with an illegally purchased weapon, the gun store’s name is kept secret: ProPublica has viewed federal filings in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Indiana where retailers were named in conjunction with cases against individuals who lied to make gun purchases or later resold the guns illegally in so-called straw sales. One such gun was bought from an Indiana retailer and days later used in a shooting that left two Wisconsin police officers severely injured, ProPublica reported in March. The retailer involved was never charged yet still was named in court records.
* Tribune | State seeks to salvage high-profile conviction in Hadiya Pendleton slaying in arguments before Illinois Supreme Court: More than a decade after the killing of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton put a national spotlight on Chicago’s entrenched problem with gun violence, Illinois prosecutors worked to salvage a conviction against the alleged shooter before the state’s highest court in Springfield. […] Though Micheail Ward, 30, was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery following a lengthy jury trial in 2018, an Illinois appeals court last year overturned his convictions and ordered a new trial, finding that Chicago police detectives violated his rights by continuing to question him after he invoked his right to remain silent.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Advocates tell mayor: Fund transit, not stadiums: In a letter signed by eight Chicago transit groups including the Metropolitan Planning Council, Active Transportation Alliance and Commuters Take Action, the organizations blasted the proposal to use public money to help build a new domed stadium at a time when local transit agencies are facing a $730 million fiscal cliff. A response from the Bears was not returned by press time.
* Block Club | Will Bears Stadium Be ‘For Our Children’? Some Community Leaders Are Skeptical: Educator Andre Russell doubts the new stadium will be built. If it is, he’d like to see the professional sports team offer more programs to kids in the city, prioritizing students from the Near South Side and Bronzeville, he said. The CPS high school teacher said whoever assumes the community liaison role once the stadium is built will have to know the lay of the land to better create programs for the city’s young people.
* Chalkbeat | Organizers of Democratic National Convention in Chicago launch student art competition: Students and graduating seniors from public and private high schools across the Chicago area have until June 10 at 5 p.m. to submit their designs. Original artwork can include drawings, paintings, photography or other two-dimensional media, but must be created by hand and without the help of artificial intelligence.
* Block Club | What’s Inside The Bean? Photos Show Construction Of ‘Cloud Gate’: The stainless steel skin hides an internal skeleton with flexible connectors that allow it to expand and contract in Chicago’s extreme weather. Thirty-three feet high, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long, its cost was a reported $23 million.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* NBC Chicago | Local activist, Dolton trustee Andrew Holmes terminated by Chicago Survivors over assault allegations: Chicago Survivors issued the following statement to NBC Chicago: “Our mission is to provide crime victim services to family members of homicide victims, so our relationships with those families and our community is paramount. Without compromise, there needs to be strong mutual trust and an assumed high level of safety for the adults and children we serve. For those reasons, we terminated his employment in April upon learning of the serious allegations.”
* Naperville Sun | DuPage County state’s attorney’s office to sue county clerk over unpaid bills: The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office plans to file a civil lawsuit against DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and her office over $224,000 in invoices submitted for purchases not properly approved or made without going through a bidding process. Kaczmarek threatened similar action in a May 7 memo to DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy in which she said she’d instruct the state’s attorney to file legal action against the county if invoices submitted by her office were not paid by the county treasurer.
* KFVS | How SIUC researchers transformed waste plastic into food: A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale have been working on new food technologies, including processing waste biomass and plastic to create a specialized yeast that can then be converted into proteins. Called µBites, which means “microbites,” the proteins can be 3D-printed into cookies or other foods.
* SJ-R | Mail delivery changes in Springfield halted until 2025: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a letter to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Gary Peters on May 9 confirmed that mail processing facility reviews and planned implemented changes will halt until next year, following a slew of senators sending letters to DeJoy. Until the changes are made however, DeJoy said the investments into current branches will be halted, as well.
* WGLT | ISU trustees to hold special meeting for vote on increasing student fees, housing and dining: At the time, then-interim president Aondover Tarhulesaid the need to increase fees came from rising costs for the university across the board that were outpacing revenue. He added that student financial aid is one of ISU’s fastest-growing expenses, increasing from $25 million a year to about $47 million for the current academic year. That figure had risen, he said then, “with no increase in enrollment or credit hour generation.”
*** National ***
* AP | Survey finds 8,000 women a month got abortion pills despite their states’ bans or restrictions : “People … are using the various mechanisms to get pills that are out there,” Drexel University law professor David Cohen said. This “is not surprising based on what we know throughout human history and across the world: People will find a way to terminate pregnancies they don’t want.” A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that Americans are substantially more likely to say that medication abortion should be legal, rather than illegal, in their state.
* NYT | 17% of Voters Blame Biden for the End of Roe: Many voters who held Mr. Biden responsible said they simply didn’t pay close attention to politics or government affairs. For some, the confusion came from the fact that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision happened while Mr. Biden was president. DeLana Marsh, 30, of Holly Springs, Ga., supports abortion rights and opposes a new Georgia law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy: “I don’t think a group of men should be able to decide that for us.”
* HB4848 passed the House 103-0 and cleared the Senate Transportation Committee 13-1. [Adding: The Senate just approved it.] Synopsis…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that no person shall operate or cause to be operated, on a highway, a commercial motor vehicle, with the exception of a highway maintenance vehicle, transporting garbage or refuse unless the tailgate on the vehicle is in good working repair, good operating condition, and closes securely, with a cover or tarpaulin of sufficient size attached so as to prevent any load, residue, or other material from escaping. Provides that a violation of the provisions shall be a petty offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $150 (rather than $250). Provides that a person, firm, or corporation convicted of 4 or more violations within a 12-month period shall be fined an additional amount of $150 for the fourth and each subsequent conviction within the 12-month period. Amends the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act. In provisions concerning conditional assessments, provides for distribution of a conditional assessment for a violation of the provisions.
An example of what this bill is trying to prevent…
* The Question: Have you had experience with garbage trucks spewing garbage as they are driven on a road? Explain.
* M3 Strategies does some Republican work, but its final Chicago mayoral first round poll was extremely close to the result, and an earlier poll showed Brandon Johnson’s surge. Crain’s…
As he flips the calendar on his first year in office today, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faces an array of challenges, not the least of which is the need to dig out from a net approval rating of -29%.
That’s the top-line finding of a new poll for Crain’s Chicago Business by M3 Strategies, a Chicago political consultancy, which polled 415 likely general election voters in Chicago from April 29 to 30.
Only a combined 28% of likely voters polled said they approve of Johnson’s performance in office, while a majority (57%) disapprove and 41% strongly disapprove.
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Surgo Ventures partnered with Uber Health and local health centers to provide transportation assistance to expectant mothers facing transportation challenges to their prenatal appointments. Across one city, the initiative covered over 30,000 miles, ensuring over 450 participants reached their prenatal appointments without hassle. One participant shared, ‘There were days when I didn’t want to get up from bed. Knowing that someone was going to pick me up… made me feel safer.’ With programs like Rides for Moms, transportation is no longer a barrier for new mothers to access essential medical care. Learn more
* Governor JB Pritzker’s office sent this letter to legislators on Monday…
Dear Members of the Illinois General Assembly:
My office is thrilled to join the diverse group of stakeholders working in support of the Dignity in Pay Act (HB793). This bill, sponsored by House Leader Theresa Mah and Senate Leader Cristina Castro, represents a significant step forward in expanding opportunities and ensuring fair and equal pay for Illinois workers with disabilities.
House Amendment three to the Dignity in Pay Act is a carefully negotiated compromise supported by an array of organizations. The newest supporters include groups like Special Olympics Illinois, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), the National Down Syndrome Society, the Illinois Spina Bifida Association, the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities, and dozens of other groups who provide direct service and support to Illinoisans with disabilities.
These groups are joining the fight for fairness alongside long-time backers, including Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law.
For too long, a provision in the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed for Subminimum Wage payment to individuals with disabilities by entities with special authorization, generally referred to as 14(c) certificates. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, the US Supreme Court ruling in Olmstead in 1999, and numerous other strides made by civil rights leaders, we’ve made extraordinary progress in understanding the unlimited potential contributions, and the many injustices too often experienced, by people with disabilities in our country – especially when it comes to finding a job.
To date, 18 states (and the City of Chicago) have acted to phase out 14(c) and expand programs that increase inclusion and access to competitive integrated employment. A range of employers across Illinois have successfully shifted their focus to Supported Employment and meaningful day program opportunities – including Misericordia, the Arc, MarcFirst, Ray Graham, the Lighthouse for the Blind, Thresholds, and Macon Resources, Inc., among many others.
The Dignity in Pay Act requires the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Illinois Department of Labor to lead a responsible and gradual 5-year process to increase employment options for people with disabilities and phase out 14(c) subminimum wage authorizations.
The amended bill’s key changes include:
1. Extending the phase-out period to five years (July 1, 2029), allowing for a longer, smoother change ramp for employers and employees.
2. Creating a Transition Program Grant to assist employers and employees with the necessary resources to navigate the phase-out.
3. Requiring an increase to Supported Employment Rates to ensure providers have the resources to effectively support community employment programs.
4. Adding the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICCDD) and an academic partner to bolster research and development efforts for a smart, well supported change in state policy.
The Dignity in Pay Act is one step we can take together to build a more equitable and inclusive Illinois. This legislation fosters a future where all individuals, regardless of ability, can contribute their talents and skills to our workforce and earn a fair wage.
With broad stakeholder compromise and support, I urge the Illinois House and Senate to pass the Dignity in Pay Act so that I can sign it into law.
Here’s where similar legislation has been passed or is pending. From the governor’s office…
Eliminated
1.Alaska
2.Colorado
3.Delaware
4.District of Columbia
5.Hawaii
6.Maine
7.Maryland
8.New Hampshire
9.Oregon
10.Rhode Island
11.Tennessee
12.Vermont
13.Washington
14. West Virginia
Implementing Phase Out
1.California
2.Kansas
3.South Carolina
4.Virginia
Legislation Pending
1.Connecticut
2.Georgia
3.Illinois
4.Minnesota
5.Nevada
6.New York
Rep. Charlie Meier has been dead set against the bill. Here’s an Op-Ed from Meier…
Throughout my time in Springfield serving southern Illinois and portions of the Metro-East, I have worked hard to represent the best interests of the citizens in our state that live in the care of the state, live in Community Integrated Living Arrangements, and for those developmentally disabled individuals that perform light tasks at “14c Workshops” throughout the state.
A well-intentioned, but badly flawed, bill pending in Springfield is threatening to permanently place individuals working in 14c workshops out of a job. The legislation would raise the minimum wage for these jobs to $15 per hour. The concept sounds good. The businesses that are partnering with these 14c’s are more than likely to cut off their financial support. A look at the numbers reveals that the costs associated with participating in these programs would explode to unaffordable levels.
Currently, companies that pay individuals for 10 hours of work per week pay a little over $7.5 million. If HB 793 is passed and signed into law, when the wage paid to 14c employees reaches $15 per hour, the cost explodes to more than $27 million. For companies paying individuals the current rate for 25 hours of work per week, the cost is a little under $19 million. If HB 793 is passed and signed into law, when the wage reaches $15 per hour, those companies will pay a combined whopping total of more than $68.5 million. In addition to higher costs to companies, clients will be forced to pay much higher taxes on their income.
During last year’s Session, I worked to educate my fellow legislators as to the very real pitfalls in increasing the minimum wage at 14c workshops. I was successful, and I believe the programs have continued because the effort failed.
Fast-paced crowded workplaces and strange new people and new places have the tendency to scare and overwhelm certain individuals with profound disabilities.
14c clients and their families know that when they are performing their duties at the workshop that they are safe and cared for and that all of their medical and mental needs are being met. The 14cs provide the best of all worlds for clients, their families, companies, and nonprofits.
This year, advocates for the change have beefed up their messaging efforts and are once again on the cusp of passing HB 793. I’m working once again to stop the bill from passing.
The majority of the workshops I’ve talked to are either neutral or opposed to HB 793. However, they are afraid of negative consequences to their facilities and clients if they speak out.
For the sake of my friends in the developmental disability community, their families, and the dignity that comes with the work and the paycheck they receive at 14c workshops, I would ask my colleagues in the legislature to stop moving HB 793 and work with me and community partners to ensure that 14c workshop opportunities will continue to be able to operate these vital and valuable programs. Save the jobs of my friends in the DD community.
Please vote no on HB 793.
HB793 is currently in the House Rules Committee with a May 31 Third Reading deadline.
A bill in Springfield would end the requirement that prosecutors be notified when a baby is born with controlled substances in his or her system and would no longer necessarily consider that evidence of child abuse.
The hope is that by taking away the threat of losing custody of a baby, mothers would be more likely to seek treatment.
The initiative was prompted by a finding that the leading cause of death in Illinois among expectant or new mothers is drug use. Almost one-third of the 263 such mothers who died in 2018 to 2020 died of substance use, the state Department of Public Health reported.
The proposed change in the law would create a task force to develop a plan for helping infants and mothers exposed to illicit drugs during pregnancy. These family recovery plans would include medical care, recovery support and referrals to community services for the child and caregiver.
During 2018-2020, 5.4% of live births had a maternal substance use disorder recorded by the delivery hospital. Maternal
substance use disorders were recorded by the delivery hospital most often for women who were American Indian (13.1%), younger than 25 years (7.9%), had a high school education or less (10.5%), lived in urban counties outside the Chicago area (10.1%) or rural counties (12.2%), and who had Medicaid insurance (9.9%).
The percentage of live births with a maternal substance use disorder recorded by the delivery hospital varied across counties. During 2018-2020, maternal substance use disorders recorded by the delivery hospital were lowest in DuPage County (1.4%) and highest in Edgar County (24.3%). Twenty-three counties had a maternal substance use disorder recorded for 16% or more of their live births (Alexander, Christian, Clark, Coles, Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Hardin, Lawrence, Logan, Mason, Massac, Montgomery, Pike, Pope, Richland, Saline, Scott, Vermilion, Wabash, and White). […]
Crystal’s Story
Crystal was a Black woman in her 30s with a history of substance use disorder, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. She had been raised in foster care due to her parents being incarcerated. Throughout prenatal care there was no documentation of referrals or treatment for her mental health. The medical record notes from providers included undertones of blaming language surrounding her “unwillingness” to quit her substance use and classifying her as a “known drug user.” Around her sixth month of pregnancy, Crystal went to the emergency department with abdominal pain. A hospital social worker told her that DCFS would be contacted due to her positive urine drug test. Crystal became upset and started to cry due to the fear of losing her children and asked to be discharged. She then left the hospital against medical advice. The social worker reported her to DCFS after the hospital stay. In her prenatal care visits after this emergency department visit, there was no documented follow-up for Crystal’s substance use disorder or other mental health conditions. She later gave birth to a full-term healthy baby. From the hospital records available, it seems the infant was not taken into DCFS care after birth. After delivery, there is no record of Crystal receiving a postpartum visit or any other care. She died two months postpartum of a drug overdose from a combination of fentanyl and cocaine.
What can we learn from Crystal’s death?
Women who have substance use disorder can experience stigma and bias related to their substance use, especially during pregnancy. This can result in some women avoiding medical care during or after pregnancy due to the fear of DCFS reporting and the potential to lose custody of their child(ren). Health care providers should seek out training to further understand the impact stigma related to substance use affects care to improve respectful care practices for all patients. While it is currently Illinois law to report positive urine drug screens to DCFS after an infant is born, there is no mandated reporting for drug screenings during pregnancy prior to the baby’s birth. Crystal’s health care providers did not assess her readiness for substance use disorder treatment.
State lawmakers could pass a plan in the final weeks of session to improve procedures for student discipline. This comes as many teachers and administrators across the state have asked for help to address school safety.
The Illinois State Board of Education could be required to draft and publish guidance for development of reciprocal reporting systems between schools and law enforcement.
This measure calls on ISBE to publish guidance for re-engagement of students suspended, expelled or returning from an alternative school setting. […]
Senate Bill 1400 passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday afternoon. The plan now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration.
House Bill 3908, sponsored by state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, would allow firefighters to take time off to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or for the birth of a child and caring for the newborn.
They would also be able to use the time to care for a newly-adopted child under 18, a newly-placed foster child under 18, or for a newly-adopted or placed foster child older than 18 if they are unable to care for themselves due to a mental or physical disability.
Firefighters would also have the option to voluntarily waive their right to paid family leave. […]
If the bill passes, Stuart said details of how this would work on a local level will be done through negotiations and collective bargaining agreements between municipalities and the firefighter unions.
The Illinois Municipal League, a lobbying group that advocates on behalf of the state’s cities and towns, opposes the bill, deeming it an unfunded mandate on municipalities and preemption of local government decision-making.
A coalition of environmental and agricultural groups are encouraging state lawmakers to expand the Illinois Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program (FCSS). […]
Farmers who are accepted into the program receive a $5-an-acre subsidy on their next year’s crop insurance for every acre of cover crops they plant. [Eliot Clay, land use programs director with the Illinois Environmental Council] says the groups want to see 3-million dollars allocated to cover 500-thousand acres in the next state budget. […]
This year the program received 660-thousand dollars and covered 100-thousand acres.
* Rep. Margaret Croke…
Yesterday, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation to increase insurance coverage of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments passed the Illinois House with bipartisan support, and is headed to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk to be signed into law. The bill removes the current limitation, which requires insurance to only cover four rounds of IVF treatments, and also includes coverage for an annual menopause health visit.
“As reproductive health has been under attack across the country, I’m so proud that Illinois is continuing to prioritize access to care like IVF. I’m thrilled to see this legislation heading to Governor Pritzker’s desk after receiving bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. The previous insurance cap was not based in science, and unfortunately has created financial barriers for individuals hoping to start or grow families,” said State Representative Margaret Croke. “Being a mom has been the most rewarding and incredible experience of my life, and it’s something everyone who wants to should have the opportunity to do. I’m grateful that we’re taking steps to increase access to this care here in Illinois.”
Currently, insurance companies in Illinois are only required to cover four rounds of IVF, but for many families it can take at least six rounds of IVF to result in a successful pregnancy and birth. Once signed, this legislation will ensure that families receive coverage for the fertility treatments they need to start or grow a family. A single round of IVF can cost between $15,000 and $30,000 out of pocket, putting the dream of welcoming a child financially out of reach for many.
Since taking office in 2021, Rep. Croke has been a champion in increasing access to reproductive and fertility care. Her first year in office, Rep. Croke passed HB3709, legislation that expanded insurance coverage of fertility treatments to same-sex couples, women over 35, single women, women who cannot get pregnant naturally due to a medical issue, and others, ensuring that all Illinoisans have equal access to the insurance coverage needed to start a family.
* Rep. Jaime Andrade…
Continuing his efforts to support motorists, state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, passed legislation on Tuesday that allows motorists the chance to recover valuable personal items like medical devices and identification cards from their vehicles.
“Common sense tells you that if someone is unfortunate enough to have their car towed, these companies should allow motorists to get their important IDs, lifesaving medical devices and school textbooks out of their vehicle, free of charge, but that’s not always the case,” Andrade said. “Unfortunately, some tow companies have strong armed motorists, resulting in even more out-of-pocket costs in overdue textbook fees, new prescriptions and renewed documents. This legislation was needed, because too many of Illinois’ families have faced hundreds of dollars in fines and costs because of a glaring loophole. I look forward to seeing the Governor’s signature on this legislation and more discussion on how we can best support motorists in the future.”
Andrade championed Senate Bill 2654 which allows someone to recover personal medical devices, ID cards, college textbooks, and study material from a vehicle that is being held by a towing company without facing penalties or fees.
Andrade’s legislation continues his long support of motorists and safer streets. He recently passed House Bill 4451 which would dedicate funds from speed enforcement cameras to safety improvements at nearby parks and schools.
Senate Bill 2654 passed unanimously out of the House on Tuesday, May 14 and awaits the Governor’s signature.
* Sen. Javier Cervantes…
To make canceling physical fitness services easier for customers, State Senator Javier Cervantes is moving legislation to require these services have easy and simple ways to cancel a contract.
“This is a simple matter of updating business practices to fit with modern times,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Giving consumers simple and efficient methods to cancel their subscription or contract is one way we can ensure residents are not falling victim to automatically renewing payments for services they no longer use.”
Under the new legislation, businesses offering physical fitness services like gym memberships would need to allow customers to cancel their contract either online or by email, instead of only by mail.
The measure would also require contracts for physical fitness services that automatically renew to comply with the Automatic Contract Renewal Act, which ensures businesses give full disclosure of their automatic terms and cancellation policies and do not charge customers without proper consent.
“We have given consumers in Illinois the tools to make canceling their subscriptions with other services easier, and we want to expand those provisions,” said Cervantes. “Residents may go months or even years without knowing if their old gym membership is renewing and charging them, and with these changes we are making the process easier for everyone.”
House Bill 4911 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and is one step closer to becoming law.
* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid…..
Renters will be better protected from flooding under new legislation passed by state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, requiring landlords to provide important information about flooding risk and history.
“Even one flooding event can be financially catastrophic to a family,” said Rashid. “With climate change making floods much more common and extreme, this is one important step we can take to protect working families.”
Rashid’s Senate Bill 2601 will ensure that prospective renters know whether the unit they are considering renting has a history of flooding or lies in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Special Flood Hazard Area. This information will help them make informed decisions about whether to purchase flood insurance. Many renters may not know that flooding protection is not typically included in renter’s insurance.
Under the bill, property owners must inform prospective tenants if their property lies within a high-risk flooding area. Additionally, landlords renting out units on lower levels, including garden, basement, and first floor units, must disclose whether any of these units have experienced flooding within the past decade.
After passing out of the Senate and House, Senate Bill 2601 awaits approval by Gov. JB Pritzker.
“This bill is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and wellbeing of tenants across the state,” said Senator Mike Porfirio, who introduced the legislation in the Senate. “By requiring landlords to disclose flood hazards, we are arming renters with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their families from potential harm.”
* The Boat Drink Caucus band performed at the Dave Caucus party last night at Boone’s. The crowd was huge, the music was actually pretty darned good and the beer was cold. Band guitarist Senate President Don Harmon posed for a pic during a break with House Republican Leader Tony McCombie. The pic was taken by one of the party hosts. Note the “Doom Grifter” shirt that was all the rage shortly after Gov. Pritzker coined the phrase during his 2024 State of the State/Budget address. Heh…
* ICYMI: Why has Mayor Brandon Johnson resisted demands to fire CTA President Dorval Carter Jr.? Sun-Times…
- Carter has delivered on the promise then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel made in 2015 — that Carter would win federal funding for major projects. But he has failed at day-to-day operations and customer service, mass transit experts say.
- Nearly half the City Council wants the embattled CTA president to resign his $376,000-a-year job or be fired by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
- “The money for the Red Line is probably one of the leading factors.” Johnson has stuck with Carter said veteran political consultant Delmarie Cobb.
* Capitol News Illinois | House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it: House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, authorizes the Illinois Board of Higher Education to disburse stipends of $10,000 per semester to student teachers working in public schools. That’s the rough equivalent of $15 an hour, based on a standard 40-hour work week. It also authorizes stipends of $2,000 per semester to the teachers who supervise them. But the authority to disburse those funds would be subject to appropriations. And with an estimated annual cost of $68 million to fully fund the program, Hernandez conceded it is unlikely such funding will be included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that lawmakers are currently negotiating.
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals: While Cortez Turner was in a hospital room being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg in 2016, police took his clothes. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court is weighing whether that action violated Turner’s expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The arguments in the case were among several heard by the high court Tuesday, including a case that could change how police handle certain firearms possession violations.
*** Statewide ***
* SJ-R | Illinois voters’ information partially removed by right-wing outlet following judge order: Included on its 20 websites statewide, Local Government Information Services, Inc., has published a series of stories detailing voters’ names, date of birth, home address and whether or not they voted in the 2020 Presidential Election. The articles are still online but with several changes, now showing birth year instead of birthdate and street name instead of home address.
* WGN | Illinois is the ‘most normal’ state in the U.S., new study shows: Recently, the Washington Post used U.S. Census data to determine which U.S. state best represents “normal” America as a whole. […] Illinois most resembled America as a whole based on its population’s racial makeup, broken down into percentages of white, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American residents. The state of Connecticut ranked second behind Illinois, with a racial makeup index score of 98.7 based on Census data.
*** Chicago ***
* Block Club | A Better, Stronger, Safer Chicago? Mayor Brandon Johnson’s First Year: In the lead-up to the anniversary, Block Club reviewed Johnson’s major campaign promises and compared them to his legislative record and management of the city to see if he has served as the mayor he told Chicagoans he’d be. Where is the police department in promoting 200 new detectives, a frequent campaign pledge that Johnson said would begin on day one of his term? Has service and safety improved on the CTA like he promised? Have affordable housing projects and key neighborhood developments broken ground and expanded? Are Chicago children receiving a better education than they were a year ago?
* WBEZ | Chicagoans give CPS a ‘C,’ say students are not learning enough: Despite years of trying to convince Chicagoans that public school students here are making remarkable academic progress, most residents give the schools a grade of C and say students are not learning enough. That’s according to a poll released Tuesday by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research organization. WBEZ and the Sun-Times collaborated with Public Agenda and the Joyce Foundation, which funded the project.
* Crain’s | Cutting teen unemployment key to lowering Chicago crime rate, study suggests: Young minority Chicagoans were particularly clobbered economically by COVID-19, and their recovery since has been mixed at best, a reality that all of the city is dealing with. So says a new report published today that uses U.S. Census Bureau data to conclude Latino and especially Black Chicago teens and young adults had stunningly high unemployment rates during and after the pandemic — worsening a historic economic gap between the North Side and the South and West sides — and then posits a possible connection between that and soaring COVID-era crime rates.
* WBEZ | Chicago Ethics Board wants fines and suspensions for lobbyists who give money to mayoral candidates: The board unanimously recommended Monday that the City Council update the ethics ordinance to give enforcement teeth to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 executive order that bars lobbyists from donating to a mayor’s political committees. The proposed changes would allow the board to issue a fine three times the amount of a lobbyist’s improper contribution — regardless of whether it was returned — on the first violation. That could escalate to a 90-day suspension of a lobbyist’s registration for any additional violations. The enhanced penalties would extend to entities that a lobbyist has more than 1% ownership in, such as an LLC, and apply to donations made to mayoral candidates — not just the mayor.
* WBEZ | A Chicago woman who helps migrants fights for a chance to stay in the United States: Most mornings, Luisette Kraal directs volunteers via walkie talkie. She makes sure newly arrived migrants line up and wait their turn to receive pants and jackets from the free clothing store she co-founded with her husband in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Other times, Kraal is on her phone arranging furniture deliveries or helping migrants communicate with their landlords. Or she is teaching families how to use public transportation in their new city or inviting them to church dinners.
* Crain’s | NASCAR is no Lollapalooza — but it sort of wants to be: The Black Keys are no stranger to performing in Grant Park. Lollapalooza long made a habit out of booking the American rock duo. They played at the debut Chicago festival in 2005; performed again in 2007, 2008 and 2010; and headlined their most recent year in 2012. After a 12-year hiatus, the “Lonely Boy” stars are returning to Chicago’s front yard this summer — but instead of performing at Lollapalooza in August, they will be one of four headliners taking the main stage at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race this Fourth of July weekend.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Dolton trustees approve temporary mayor position, act on garbage pickup payments: Dolton trustees have named a fill-in replacement for Mayor Tiffany Henyard as a “precautionary measure” in the event she is absent from a meeting or otherwise unable to fill her duties, according to Trustee Jason House. The appointment of House to serve as mayor pro tem came at a special Village Board meeting held Monday at a village park district building. Henyard did not attend the meeting.
* Daily Herald | ‘So much time and work and imagination’: Improvements at Lake County’s largest forest preserve taking shape: “I don’t think most people have any idea what goes into transforming this forest preserve,” Commissioner Marah Altenberg said after one of the updates. “It is so much time and work and imagination.” Lakewood improvements involve three separate but related aspects: net-zero maintenance facility; new and rebuilt interior roads, parking lots and toilets for circulation and accessibility; and a nature play area offering varied experiences.
* News-Sun | Waukegan casino’s owner reports record earnings: ‘We look forward to continued growth at American Place’: Producing a 39.6% earnings increase over the first quarter of last year, Full House President and CEO Daniel R. Lee said in a press release the effort was “led by American Place.” It included a best-ever February, topping it in March after opening Feb. 17, 2023. Full House increased its earnings from $50.1 million for the first quarter of 2023 to $69.9 million in the first three months of this year, according to the release. American Place brought in $25.8 million of the total.
* KWQC | Illinois AG intervenes into Rock Island-Milan school district FOIA requests: A private resident and TV6 Investigates both filed requests to see emails regarding a controversial new deputy superintendent job. […] “Rock Island - Milan School District received a letter from the AG Office’s Public Access Bureau on May 3 requesting more information on our FOIA response process, to be provided within 7 business days. The district is currently working with its attorneys to meet that request in a timely manner.
* WSIL | Ferrell Hospital CEO says it could take up to six weeks before Hospital re-opens: Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado remains closed days after heavy rains caused the drainage system to overflow and flood major parts of the hospital. “After we had the water recede and we could take a look at things, we brought in a restoration company that specializes in this type of cleanup and this type of work,” said Ferrell Hospital CEO Tony Keene.
*** National ***
* NYT | Few Chinese Electric Cars Are Sold in U.S., but Industry Fears a Flood: The Biden administration’s new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles won’t have a huge immediate impact on American consumers or the car market because very few such cars are sold in the United States. But the decision reflects deep concern within the American automotive industry, which has grown increasingly worried about China’s ability to churn out cheap electric vehicles. American automakers welcomed the decision by the Biden administration on Tuesday to impose a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles from China, saying those vehicles would undercut billions of dollars of investment in electric vehicle and battery factories in the United States.
Isabel- Still a bit under the weather but feeling much better today!
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Every day, Illinois hospitals provide lifesaving care. To provide that care, hospitals must overcome obstacles from Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), whose inappropriate denials of prior authorization requests harm patients. There are countless examples of MCOs overriding a physician’s medical determination and of the hurdles hospitals face in providing needed care. Here are a few:
• A rural southern Illinois Critical Access Hospital requested authorization for a patient to have an echocardiogram, a common test to detect heart conditions. The hospital’s credentialing specialist followed up 10 times and finally received approval 20 days later.
• A young child on dialysis was denied authorization for a kidney transplant listing and transplant, which unnecessarily delayed the child’s transplant listing for several weeks, with considerable time spent by the clinical team to appeal.
• Tests showed a patient with back pain had metastatic lesions throughout her body and an unusual appearance to one ovary. Her MCO wouldn’t approve imaging or an oncologist visit. Fearing for the patient’s health, the hospital’s oncology team committed to seeing the patient that week.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association urges lawmakers to pass legislation addressing harmful prior authorization practices and eliminate barriers to healthcare for Illinois’ most vulnerable populations. Support IHA’s MCO prior authorization reforms.
* Fran Spielman’s story on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s resistance to firing Dorval Carter at the CTA contained this state-related segment…
[Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago] is one of the prime movers behind a proposal to consolidate the four Chicago-area mass transit agencies — the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace — into one super-agency with beefed-up powers.
“There either needs to be a leadership change or a change in leadership philosophy at CTA,” Buckner said Tuesday.
“The CTA doesn’t have a whole lot more time to get things right. … When you hear the state legislature say what you’re doing isn’t working and you hear the CTA respond by saying, ‘Just give us more money,’ that’s problematic. When you hear the City Council say, ‘What you’re doing is not working’ and you hear CTA respond by saying, ‘It is working. You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ there’s no accountability. The folks who are suffering are the people of Chicago.”
With federal stimulus funds drying up and a combined $730 million fiscal cliff looming, Buckner said: “There will be no new revenue without reform.”
…Adding… Soft landing?…
I'm very selfishly rooting against Melinda Bush, because I think she'd make a great Metra board chair once Chairwoman Brown's term ends later this year. (Also, Romayne Brown would make a terrific CTA president…)
— Star:Line Chicago (@StarLineChicago) May 14, 2024
* Isabel wrote a story for subscribers last month about Rep. Fred Crespo regularly pointing out bills that are subject to appropriations during floor debates. Rep. Crespo did it again yesterday. Capitol News Illinois…
The Illinois House approved a bill Tuesday to allow student teachers to receive stipends while earning their education degree, even though the money needed to fund those stipends is unlikely to be included in next year’s budget.
House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, authorizes the Illinois Board of Higher Education to disburse stipends of $10,000 per semester to student teachers working in public schools. That’s the rough equivalent of $15 an hour, based on a standard 40-hour work week. It also authorizes stipends of $2,000 per semester to the teachers who supervise them.
But the authority to disburse those funds would be subject to appropriations. And with an estimated annual cost of $68 million to fully fund the program, Hernandez conceded it is unlikely such funding will be included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that lawmakers are currently negotiating. […]
“Here we go again, folks. We’re passing bills that are subject to appropriations,” said Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates. “I get the sense that we think it’s like Monopoly money. But you’re creating a line item and you’re putting pressure on the budget. It’s an empty promise that gives people a false sense of hope.”
* Isabel is still under the weather, so I wouldn’t expect a morning briefing today. I’ll start the conversation by pointing to this story by my old pal Sean Crawford…
If you’ve spent much time outside recently, you may have been fighting off swarms of flying insects. Buffalo gnats, also known as black flies, often show up this time of year and can stick around for several weeks. They’ve been very active this spring.
According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, females bite because they feed on blood to produce their eggs. The bites can produce itching, bleeding and swelling as well as allergic reactions that can be life-threatening.
The flies are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by people and animals, and also to perspiration, fragrances and dark, moving objects. They are most active just after sunrise and before sunset on calm days.
There isn’t a lot you can do to avoid them.
They’re everywhere.
According to IDPH not much repels the creatures and DEET may actually attract them.
Total eclipse, spectacular geomagnetic storms, a double cicada brood event and now ‘very active’ buffalo gnats. Great.
