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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Governor JB Pritzker…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined elected officials, early childhood advocates, and education leaders to sign Senate Bill 0001 into law, officially establishing Illinois’ new Department of Early Childhood. The new state agency, first proposed by Governor Pritzker in October 2023, will focus exclusively on early childhood programs and services for young children, improving equity and accessibility for families and caregivers.

“Our state-funded early childhood programs operate across three different state agencies, putting an unnecessary burden on those families looking for support and on those providing the support that’s needed,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am very proud to usher in the beginning of a new era for early childhood education and care in Illinois – as we create the Department of Early Childhood. Once fully implemented in 2026, this new agency will make life simpler, better, and fairer for tens of thousands of Illinois families.”

“The launch of the Department of Early Childhood puts the needs of our youngest learners front and center,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “We’re making it easier for parents to find quality care and education, no matter their zip code. This new agency marks a transformative step in ensuring that every child in Illinois has access to the high-quality care and education they deserve.”

Currently, services for young children are housed in three separate agencies: the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Navigating the current system is complex and inefficient, often leaving service gaps and challenges for historically underserved communities. With this new agency, early childhood programs will be unified to improve ease and availability for families and providers seeking state resources, including:

    - The Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE, which funds Preschool for All and the Prevention Initiative programs
    - The Child Care Assistance Program, Home-Visiting programs, and Early Intervention services at DHS
    Day care licensing currently managed by DCFS.

The transition will be led by education expert Ann Whalen, who has a background in education policy and teacher retention, and the Department of Early Childhood will begin administering all new programs in FY27 (July 1, 2026). Until then, programs will continue to be housed in legacy agencies as the State works with educators, parents, providers, and stakeholders to design the ideal framework and practical rollout for the new agency.

* Invisible Institute

Nine Black families interviewed for this story said they felt neglected and disappointed in the Chicago Police Department’s handling of their loved one’s missing person cases — services a majority believed were denied because their relatives were Black.

People searching for their missing loved ones felt abandoned and revictimized by Chicago police. In the face of rude behavior, unanswered phone calls and slow or lackluster investigations where evidence was fumbled or even lost by detectives, friends and family had to conduct their own searches and collect their own evidence.

In worst-case scenarios, people believe police delays and missteps allowed their loved ones to be murdered, leaving perpetrators uncharged or cases unsolved. Moore still wonders if Smith would be alive if police had followed up quickly, examined Smith’s phone and immediately questioned the man Smith was last seen with.

Shirley Enoch-Hill believes she will never find out what happened to her daughter, Sonya Rouse, who dreamed of being a news anchor. When Rouse went missing in 2016 at age 50, Enoch-Hill immediately suspected Rouse’s boyfriend, whom she claims physically abused her daughter throughout their relationship. According to police documents, an Illinois Department of Corrections official offered to arrange an interview between police Detective Brian Yaverski and the boyfriend (who was in an IDOC work release program), but Yaverski “decided to wait.” More than a year later, the boyfriend died of a suspected fentanyl overdose, and Yaverski never interviewed him. (Reporters contacted Yaverski for comment but he did not respond. CPD media affairs also did not respond to a request for comment.)

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Schmidt highlights support of legislation benefitting Seniors: HB1074 increases the maximum income limitation for the senior freeze to $73,700 for the 2024 taxable year. HB1274 standardizes the senior citizens homestead exemption to $8,000 across all counties and raises the maximum income limitation for the senior citizens assessment freeze to $75,000. HB1219 allows seniors to deduct Medicare premiums from their annual household income to qualify for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption.

*** Statewide ***

* Bar News | Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Emily J. Hampton ARDC Commissioner: Ms. Hampton is the Director of Human Resources at Illinois CancerCare, P.C. in Peoria. She manages all strategic and operational functions of Human Resources and Administration over 14 locations throughout Central Illinois. Her work involves employee benefits, recruitment and retention, compensation, legal issues, contracting, and labor relations. She oversees a staff of 550 employees, including more than 20 physicians and over 40 mid-level health care providers. She attends and presents information at bi-weekly physician board meetings.

*** Chicago ***

* ABC Chicago | Democratic National Convention staff, volunteers start moving into United Center: Heavy-duty preps were happening inside the bowl at the United Center on Monday. Construction workers are transforming the sports and concert venue into the Democratic National Convention Hall, and Monday marked move-in day for staff and volunteers.

* Tribune | It’s not your imagination. Chicago traffic has gotten worse since the pandemic, report finds.: The region also had one of the biggest jumps in traffic congestion in 2023 compared with pre-pandemic, according to the new report from mobility analytics firm Inrix, made public Tuesday. Traffic was up 18% over 2019 levels, tying for the highest growth among the cities studied.

* Block Club | Walmart Donates Chatham Training Academy To Chicago Urban League A Year After Abruptly Closing: The academy was part of the Chatham Supercenter, which included the Walmart Health Center and a Walmart grocery store. The store and health center spaces remain vacant. Chicago Urban League will pay for the six-figure renovation, helping the group expand its existing job training and entrepreneurship opportunities at the Chatham site, said Karen Freeman-Wilson, president and chief executive officer.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago Cubs announce plan to use solar power at Wrigley Field for 1st time: A partnership with Invenergy, and their community solar company, Reactivate, will launch clean and renewable energy systems at the park. The Cubs will be an “anchor” for community solar projects in Wrigleyville.

* Block Club | West Nile Virus Found In South Side Mosquitoes: The mosquitoes — the first local ones confirmed to have West Nile in 2024 — were found in Greater Grand Crossing, Roseland and West Pullman, according to a Department of Public Health news release. No cases have been confirmed in humans. To prevent the spread of this virus, Chicagoans can use insect repellent; get rid of standing water where mosquitoes breed; keep grass and weeds short; ensure all screens, windows and doors are tight-fitting and free of holes; and wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing when outside at night, according to the health department.

* Tribune | Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is on track to be a WNBA All-Star — and she’s chasing a Candace Parker record on the way: Reese, who is second in the league in rebounding behind Wilson with 11.1 per game, was seventh in the first returns of fan voting with 118,490 votes. That ranked fourth among non-Olympians behind fellow rookie Clark (second overall), Boston (third) and Ogunbowale (fifth). “Every time that she’s stepped in, she keeps getting better,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “She does things that are incredible. Just to look at her, to see the way that she rebounds basketball — that’s All-Star status.”

* Crain’s | Union that helped build Chicago’s skyline opens new training facility: Ironworkers Local 63, which represented Chicago’s architectural and ornamental ironworkers, opened a 12,000-square-foot glass building at 2525 Lexington St. that will allow the union to simulate the pressurized work its members do such as installing glass windows and frames and other structural metal work on some of the city’s most recognizable buildings.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Shaw Local | St. Charles School Board president resigns from post, but staying on board: Before the vote, Fairgrieve, who has served on the school board since 2017 and as board president since May 2022, made a statement to address her reason for stepping down. “From my perspective, the reason for this agenda item is I am unable to complete all of my presidential duties at this time, specifically as they relate to school board policy 2:110,” Fairgrieve said.

* Sun-Times | Judge won’t overturn man’s murder conviction despite report that found ‘powerful evidence’ he may be innocent: A Cook County judge on Monday denied a man’s request to overturn his murder conviction, even as the state’s attorney’s office said it would not oppose it or seek to retry the case. In a nearly two-hour ruling, Judge Angela Petrone said Kevin Jackson’s latest attempt to overturn his conviction did not cite evidence that had not already been considered by his jury and other courts. In a statement released by his attorneys, Jackson said he believed the decision was “severely irrational and unjust.” His lawyers filed a notice of appeal hours later.

* Lake and McHenry County Scanner | McHenry County judge charged after allegedly speeding 93 mph, being injured in motorcycle crash: A McHenry County judge was charged after he allegedly drove his motorcycle at 93 mph and then crashed, leaving himself injured, as a sheriff’s deputy was conducting a traffic stop on him. […] The driver was identified as Jeffrey L. Hirsch, 55, of Woodstock, court records show. Hirsch is a McHenry County associate judge who was appointed to the position in October 2015.

*** Downstate ***

* Reason | Students in This Illinois School District Are Getting Tickets for Misbehaving: Students at an Illinois school district have been receiving tickets for misbehavior, resulting in fines of over $750, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education this month. Further, the complaint alleges that black students in particular were singled out for this punishment—and white students who similarly broke school rules weren’t issued fines as frequently. Rockford Public Schools (RPS) serves a diverse group of nearly 30,000 students, around 30 percent of whom are black, 26 percent are white, and 31 percent are Hispanic. To handle disciplinary infractions, students are sometimes sent to school resource officers (SROs).

* WCIA | Urbana City Council passes budget without increased police funding: The proposed increase in funding for the Urbana Police Department has been a point of contention for weeks amongst the community. Chief Larry Boone wanted it in order to implement his plan for cutting down on crime — including new technology, increased staffing and improved community relations. Others wanted the funding to instead go toward having a more direct impact in the community such as social services and reducing poverty.

*** National ***

* Nieman Lab | Journalism has become ground zero for the vocation crisis:
As an occupation, journalism is attractive to many people because they can be paid to do work that’s interesting and socially beneficial. In this regard, it is similar to otherwise very different jobs like nursing, teaching, social work and caregiving. These are “vocations,” in the sense that sociologist Max Weber described them more than a century ago. Based on strong personal commitments, vocations promise recognition and a sense of self-worth for doing work that’s connected to broader values: healing people, fighting injustice, imparting knowledge, serving the cause of democracy.

* AP | US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health emergency: The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded. “People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe,” Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”

* Bloomberg | Carolina Panthers win $650 million for stadium upgrade: The owner of the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers and Major League Soccer’s Charlotte Football Club has secured $650 million of public funds for a $1.3 billion renovation of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The newly approved plan uses existing hospitality and tourism tax resources to finance Charlotte’s part of the renovation through 2029. The sports group run by billionaire David Tepper, called Tepper Sports & Entertainment, is on the hook for another $150 million over the same time period. Tepper owns both the Panthers and Charlotte FC.

  3 Comments      


Today’s quotable

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Chicago Republican Party…

REMOVE DEMOCRAT SOCIALISTS FROM ALL GOVERNMENT

CHICAGO, IL — “Communism has been banned in the United States since 1954 with the Communist Control Act, yet we have numerous government officials who prescribe to Socialist ideology,” said R. Cary Capparelli, Republican candidate for the special two-year term at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

Capparelli added, “Communism is a growth of Socialism and we have a mayor in Chicago and other elected officials, all Democrats, that act as a Socialists.” He further noted that at least six (6) aldermen are members of the Chicago City Council Democrat Socialist Caucus.

“Leftists in academia are the foundation of the Socialist movement and they are poisoning our youth with unreasonable expectations. It’s also causing dishonesty in media which is ‘playbook’ Communistic tactic to disrupt honest government,” concluded Capparelli.

Voters are urged to disregard the term ‘progressive’ as it’s clandestine wordage for ‘socialist’. Republican candidates throughout Chicago and Cook County are working diligently to earn votes in the upcoming election to give citizens a real government with strong American values.

Other local Republican candidates in the November election include: Robert Fioretti for State’s Attorney, Lupe Aguirre for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Michelle Pennington for Cook County Clerk, Tien Glaub for Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court and the trio of Claire Connelly, Brendan Ehlers and Richard Dale, all for the six-year term at the MWRD.

Thoughts?

  34 Comments      


Study: The party’s over for Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax revenues

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The full study is here. From Melcher+Tucker Consultants…

Hi Rich and Isabel,

Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax Revenue and K-12 Education Funding in Illinois: Volume II, the newest report released today from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA), finds that revenues from a tax on all Illinois businesses have surged in recent years, helping fund local government services, including education, but now are expected to decline sharply, “with important implications for state funding of K-12 education.” The report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, finds that revenue from the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) more than tripled between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2023, jumping from $1.33 billion to $4.54 billion. But the Illinois Department of Revenue is expecting a fall of nearly 29% in FY2024. The revenues have been an important contributor to the state’s Evidence Based Formula for Student Success Act (EBF), and current projections show that CPPRT revenue to school districts in fy’25 will be $400 million less than they are in fy’24. “As CPPRT revenue begins to decline in the coming years, the educational services previously funded by some of the unexpected growth in CPPRT revenue will have to be funded with other revenue sources or be cut,” the report says.

The rise in CPPRT, according to the report, is due to a number of relatively unique economic circumstances: the release of pent-up consumer spending that occurred after pandemic restrictions were eased, higher than normal rates of inflation, and many corporations taking advantage of inflationary trends generally and supply chain issues specifically to price gouge and thereby generate record profit. The spike “was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it did help close the statewide Adequacy Gap (in education funding) at a faster rate than anticipated—which is good. On the other hand, the CPPRT is a local revenue source, so the spike that occurred during the Surge Years effectively shifted more K-12 funding to local rather than state level resources, which is not ideal in Illinois, which already relies more on local revenue to fund K-12 education than any other state in the nation.” As CPPRT revenue growth reverts back to historical levels, the statewide Adequacy Gap will begin to worsen annually if the state maintains its current approach of increasing its year-to-year Tier funding by [$350] million, the report says. “Hence the amount of time it takes to fund the EBF fully will lengthen past current projections—which is an undesirable outcome to say the least.”

According to the report, Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax revenue shot up from $1.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2019 to $4.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2023. It’s projected to drop down to $3.2 billion this fiscal year.

* Impact on the Chicago Public Schools budget

(H)istoric highs in CPPRT revenue help explain why CPS moved into the next higher funding Tier under the EBF over the last two fiscal years. Also… other factors—including a reduction in total [Average Student Enrollment ] as well as a reduction in low-income student count, played a role in bumping CPS from Tier 1 into Tier 2. This change in Tiers for CPS was consequential. When CPS moved from a Tier 1 district to a Tier 2 district in FY 2023, the district lost just over half—52 percent—of its anticipated share in new, year-to-year state Tier funding.

* And this is just crazy

A major fiscal complication that arises from using CPPRT as a part of local resources is that it allocates revenue to school districts in accordance with their respective collections of Tangible Personal Property Tax revenue in either 1976 or 1977, depending on whether or not the district is in Cook County. Much has changed in the Illinois landscape over the last half-century, demographically, industry-wise, and economically.

Which means the allocation formula used in the CPPRT is outdated and no longer representative of where businesses exist geographically in Illinois. For example, in FY 2024, CPPRT revenue made up nearly 65 percent of the total Final Resources for Monticello CUSD 25 (“CUSD 25”). Part of the reason CPPRT revenue comprises such a significant portion of CUSD 25’s revenue is that, in 1977 large businesses like Illinois Power and General Cable were sited in CUSD 25’s community—allowing it to collect significant revenue from its assessment of the Tangible Personal Property Tax. Those industries have gone, yet the district’s CPPRT revenue share is determined as if they still exist.

Other districts that did not have as strong of a business or industrial presence in 1976 or 1977 are likely receiving significantly lesser shares of CPPRT revenue, even if they are now home to bigger business entities. This effectively means that CPPRT taxes paid by a business sited in one community are being transferred to the benefit of a school district sited in a different community, based on antiquated allocation design. Fixing these distortions will not be easy—as certain districts would stand to lose significant funding for their schools through any modernization of the CPPRT allocation formula, and should be held harmless by the state to ensure their financial condition is not impaired.

Yikes.

Lots more, so go read the rest if you’re interested.

  6 Comments      


Another Bears stadium false alarm

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Twitter went kinda nuts after an NBC Sports Chicago host posted this…


Barstool Chicago and others jumped on it…


* I checked around and was told the story was, um, bovine excrement. “Change ’stadium deal’ to ‘property tax appeal’ and it might be accurate.”

* And now comes the inevitable walkback…


  24 Comments      


Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.


We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Lorena and Sugeiri, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Massive tollway contract screwup leads to TRO

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Tollway press release from November of 2023

November construction contracts awarded include:

    • A $323.9 million contract to Judlau Contracting Inc., College Point, NY, to reconstruct and reconfigure the southbound side of the I-290/I-88 Interchange on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between the Cermak Toll Plaza and St. Charles Road

* Chicago Tribune last month

A contractor that says its $323 million contract for work on the massive Interstate 294 reconstruction project was improperly terminated has sued the Illinois Tollway.

Judlau Contracting, a New York-based company, says in its lawsuit that it had started work on the interchange of Interstate 290 and Interstate 88 when its contract was terminated by the Illinois Tollway on May 16. The lawsuit, filed in DuPage County Circuit Court, says the action was without proper legal basis and harmed the company’s reputation and overall business.

The company also says the sudden halt in the project could cost taxpayers millions of dollars extra and create safety risks for drivers on the interchange. […]

Judlau said the state agency cited two specific provisions for ending the contract. One specifies that termination can only occur if “there are changed circumstances, the effects of which were not known to the Tollway at the time of execution of the contract, and, for these reasons, the Tollway determines that termination is in its best interest,” according to the complaint. The other provision allows the Tollway to “cancel or alter any or all portions of the work” due to “circumstances either unknown at the time of bidding or arising after the contract was entered into.”

Judlau said it knows of no factors that satisfy those provisions, and that the Tollway did not provide further explanation, responding only several days later by saying “at this time, we do not have any additional information to convey regarding the termination.”

More from the Daily Herald

Judlau was chosen as the lowest bidder in 2023 to reconfigure the southbound side of the tangled interchange for about $323 million, the lawsuit states.

The company had hired subcontractors and laborers, moved equipment to the site, secured materials, and was about six weeks into construction when it was dismissed “in a cursory two-sentence letter.”

Pulling the plug on the work will impact hundreds of jobs, Judlau contends, and also create traffic hazards. Workers “left the site in a safe condition via use of temporary barriers — but this is not a permanent solution.”

The tollway has steadfastly refused comment.

* But now we’re finally getting some answers. Marni Pyke

Tollway officials said in an affidavit they did not initially realize they had to apply a 4% preference, or reduction, to Illinois companies bidding for the job. Judlau is based in New York.

The 4% preference is a relatively new change to the state procurement code that went into effect in December 2023.

The tollway board awarded the contract to Judlau, which was the low bidder over [Walsh Construction], in November.

But in April, “I reviewed the bids submitted … and discovered that the tollway had not allocated a 4% bid preference to the base bid submitted by Walsh, which was and is an Illinois business,” Chief of Procurement Peter Foernssler said, according to court documents.

The tollway misunderstood the mandatory nature of the change in procurement policy, he added.

*Facepalm*

According to Pyke’s story, a DuPage County judge has now issued a temporary restraining order preventing the tollway from hiring another firm.

  29 Comments      


Welch urges judge to toss staff unions’ lawsuit

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. From Capitol News Illinois

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is urging a Cook County judge to dismiss a lawsuit members of his staff filed against him last month seeking to force recognition of their union.

In a new filing Monday, attorneys for Welch argued the Illinois Legislative Staff Association has no standing to sue over the speaker’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining with the would-be union’s members. Welch’s attorneys reiterated an argument the speaker has been making for nearly a year: Illinois law doesn’t currently allow legislative staffers to unionize.

Although Welch last fall introduced and passed legislation through the House that would explicitly allow his employees to unionize, the bill has not advanced in the Senate. The ILSA last month accused Welch of feigning solidarity in public while privately colluding with Democratic Senate President Don Harmon to ensure the bill died in his chamber. And a few days after the General Assembly’s spring session concluded, the staffers sued Welch.

The speaker’s attorneys pointed to the ILSA’s “failure to appeal” the Illinois Labor Relations Board’s decision to not certify the union in March 2023, which found legislative staffers are specifically excluded from being able to form a union.

* From the filing

Speaker Welch is Immune from Suit Regarding his Interactions With Legislative Staff Under Article IV, Section 12 of the Illinois Constitution Requiring Dismissal Under Section 2-619(a)(1) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Article IV, Section 12 of the Illinois Constitution, which attaches broad immunity to legislators regarding legislative activities, provides:

SECTION 12. LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY
Except in cases of treason, felony or breach of peace, a member shall be privileged from arrest going to, during, and returning from sessions of the General Assembly. A member shall not be held to answer before any other tribunal for any speech or debate, written or oral, in either house. These immunities shall apply to committee and legislative commission proceedings.

* ISLA organizer Brady Burden…

“These legal gymnastics are embarrassing. Speaker Welch is saying that he is both above the law and shackled by it. The Illinois Constitution unequivocally guarantees us the right to bargain collectively, and we remain confident the courts will ultimately side with us. At the end of the day, Speaker Welch is only continuing to demonstrate his utter lack of shame.”

  52 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another supplement to today’s edition

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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Open thread

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

  12 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Ed Burke sentenced to 24 months in prison. Crain’s

Ed Burke, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and fined $2 million today for attempting to steer business to his law firm in exchange for helping companies big and small navigate the City Council where he held enormous sway.

Burke, 80 years old, was convicted in December on charges of racketeering, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and promoting bribery, official misconduct and extortion. The sentence was far lighter than what Burke could have received and less than what some had expected.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall acknowledged the sentence of 24 months in prison, coupled with a $2 million fine, is unusual.

“I’ve never done this before,” she said, describing her thinking. “How do we give a sense to the public of some redress for the harm? One of the things I think would give them redress is the fines that are much higher usual. . . .Fines go into the victim crime fund. Part of my sentence is going to be a really significant fine.”

* Related stories…

The governor will sign a bill creating the state Department of Early Childhood today at 1:30. Click here to watch.

* Brenden Moore


*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated: But after Friday’s high court ruling, advocates say there is nothing else standing in the way of lawmakers taking up the bill, which last summer was rebranded “Karina’s Bill” after Gonzalez’s murder. The bill would clarify existing state law and require law enforcement to take guns from those subject to certain domestic violence orders of protection. Amanda Pyron, executive director of Chicago-based domestic violence advocacy organization The Network, said it “hit a lot of us really hard” that Friday’s Supreme Court decision was published on the one-year anniversary of Gonzalez’s order of protection against her husband.

* WAND | Pritzker promotes Illinois workforce, innovation during 2024 SelectUSA investment summit: “We are a state that brings workforce, energy and great sites,” Pritzker said. “Just like Governor Youngkin, we invest in our sites to make sure that what you’re looking for is available in the state of Illinois.” Pritzker said he is glad that the Illinois economy has recovered following the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to major investments in renewable energy, manufacturing and quantum technology.

* Capitol Connection | Health insurance industry plans for incoming reforms: There are a number of reforms on the way for the health insurance industry. Governor Pritzker made it a top priority this legislative session, and now health insurance companies are preparing to make the changes. The plan prevents health insurance companies from using a process called step therapies, where they require a patient to use a less expensive option, even if their doctor prescribes something different. It also bans prior authorization for mental health treatments, and it requires health insurance companies to regularly audit their directories.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Illinois’ landmark credit card fee law prompting strong opposition: Just last week a trade association representing credit card companies and banks began running online ads in Illinois declaring the ban “MAY FORCE YOU TO PAY FOR PARTS OF PURCHASE IN CASH,” and print ads saying, “Tipping on your credit card is closed to Illinoisans.” While some supporters — which include many Democrats and Illinois’ main association for retailers — say those claims are hyperbolic, the new law is setting up what could be a yearslong fight between the state and financial institutions that argue the overhaul is not only a bad idea but is unrealistic because it calls for implementation in a little more than a year.

*** Statewide ***

* WGEM | Planned Parenthood of Illinois, Pro-Life Action League reflect on second anniversary of Dobbs decision: Since Dobbs, PPIL said it’s seen a 47% increase in the number of patients seeking abortion care with 25% of all patients seeking abortions coming from other states. That number was 3-5% before Dobbs.

* Cook County Record | Former Employee Sues Major Party Supply Company Over Biometric Data Violations: Marquez was employed at Party City’s Naperville, Illinois distribution warehouse from August 26, 2018, to June 20, 2019. According to the complaint, Party City uses voice recognition technology called “Vocollect” to manage its warehouse operations. This technology requires employees to provide voiceprints—unique biometric identifiers created by reading specific words into the system during training. These voiceprints are then stored and used to identify workers during their shifts. The lawsuit alleges that Party City collected these voiceprints without informing employees or obtaining their written consent as mandated by BIPA.

* NBC Chicago | From gas taxes to minimum wage, here are changes coming on July 1 in Illinois: While Illinois’ minimum wage will not go up, residents in Cook County and Chicago will see higher minimum wages starting on July 1. According to city officials, the minimum wage in Chicago will rise to $16.20 an hour, up from $15.80. That number increases annually according to the Consumer Price Index or a rate of 2.5%, whichever is lower, according to officials.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | 47 candidates file for Chicago school board elections: Chicago’s first-ever school board elections will feature 47 candidates vying for 10 seats, a number surpassing most expectations and including parents, former teachers and principals, nonprofit workers and a rapper. The window for hopefuls to submit their minimum 1,000 signatures to get on the ballot closed Monday afternoon with more than two dozen final-day submissions wrapping up the week-long process that kicked off the elections.

* Chalkbeat | Who are the Chicago school board candidates for the 2024 election?: To learn more about the new school board districts and find out which one you live in, Chalkbeat created an interactive map. Many candidates have also begun fundraising for their campaigns, reporting contributions to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

* Sun-Times | Ann Lurie, who came to Chicago a nurse and became one of city’s best-known philanthropists, dies at 79: A self-described hippie, Ms. Lurie moved to Chicago in 1973 to work as an intensive care nurse. She wound up giving tens of millions of dollars to Northwestern University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Greater Chicago Food Depository, PAWS Chicago and several other organizations both in the city and beyond.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Cook County tax bills going out on time in July, officials say: After two years of significant delays blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic and technological problems, the second installment of Cook County property tax bills for Tax Year 2023 will be issued on time next month, officials announced Monday. Nearly 1.8 million tax bills will be accessible online by July 2 and mailed out early in the month, with a due date of Aug. 1, county officials said.

*** Downstate ***

* Advantage | Alton flood reduction measures to be discussed: Alton is kicking around the ways to protect downtown against future flood events. The city has spent millions of dollars building temporary walls and on post-flood cleanup in recent years, so the Riverfront Advisory Commission will hear a “Flood Mitigation Project Update” at the end of Tuesday’s public meeting. Most of the discussion since the topic was first brought up in late 2022 has focused on a permanent flood wall, but Christine Favilla of the local Sierra Club tells The Big Z there are other options.

* WREX | Rockford to host Ironman competition, city announced Monday: The competition, which is being called Ironman 70.3, is set to take place in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The triathlon will consist of swimming, biking and running, that will have athletes compete throughout Rockford as well as the countryside north of the city.

*** National ***

* Tribune | Early adopters, mainstream success, buyer’s remorse — where is the EV market headed?: In 2023, EVs made up 18% of global passenger-vehicle sales. By 2030, according to the report, 45% will be EVs. That number jumps to 73% by 2040 — still short of what the world needs to reach net zero emissions in transportation, the firm says, but enough to achieve major reductions in climate-changing carbon emissions. The long-term outlook adds a bit of glow to more recent news, especially in the U.S. and in California, where an EV sales slowdown, led by Tesla, has spanned two quarters, challenging the state’s climate goals.

* Crain’s | Supreme Court rejects challenge to $2.67B Blue Cross settlement: Justices declined a petition from the home improvement retailer, design consultancy Topographic and benefits provider Employee Services alleging that the settlement does not treat self-insured customers fairly and does not go far enough to promote competition between Blue Cross companies. The court did not specify why it rejected the employers’ request. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled in October that 93.5% of the settlement funds should reimburse individual and small business policyholders that paid monthly premiums for Blue Cross plans and that self-insured employers receive the remaining amount.

* NBC | Texas abortion ban linked to 13% increase in infant and newborn deaths: Lawmakers passed Texas Senate Bill 8, or SB8, in September 2021. The state law banned abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as five weeks. This effectively banned abortion in the state, which used to allow abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The law did not include exemptions for congenital anomalies, including conditions that will cause a newborn to die soon after birth. The new study compared infant death rates in Texas from 2018 to 2022 to those of 28 other states. The data included newborns 28 days or younger and infants up to 12 months old. Infant deaths in Texas rose by nearly 13% the year after SB8 was passed, from 1,985 in 2021 to 2,240 in 2022. During that same period, infant deaths rose by about 2% nationwide.

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