As part of his continuing plan to carefully unwind the state’s COVID-19 executive orders, Governor Pritzker today updated testing requirements for school and childcare personnel, rescinding the requirement that unvaccinated employees in these sectors test twice weekly. This change goes into effect Friday and is made on the advice of medical experts, based on their careful consideration of the current conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and is in line with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.
“Vaccination continues to be the most effective tool we have against COVID-19, and I’m proud that millions of Illinoisans have taken advantage of these life-saving vaccines – they have given us the ability to adjust these requirements,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I continue to urge everyone in the state to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, including getting the recently released bivalent booster shot. Although the current state of the pandemic is very different than it was two years ago, we still need to protect the most vulnerable members of our community as we continue to be responsive to the changing challenges and evolutions of this virus.”
“As our approach to the pandemic continues to evolve, we are easing some COVID-19 restrictions in our schools and daycare centers,” said Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “It remains our continued goal to address the health risks of COVID-19, but current conditions of the pandemic are different from those of the last two years. There are now many tools available for protecting our students, teachers and the general public, including the latest updated bivalent vaccines and effective treatment options for children and adults. It continues to be important to remain home if you have COVID-19 symptoms, per CDC recommendations. Broad access to COVID-19 testing will remain a critical part of our strategy. To ensure ready access to testing, IDPH has offered one million rapid COVID-19 tests to schools for use by students and staff at home.”
The CDC no longer requires routine testing in schools or childcare settings regardless of the vaccination status of the staff member. However, they continue to recommend schools and other congregate educational settings consider instituting testing at times of high risk in the community, such as upon return from breaks or after large indoor events. Illinois schools and childcare centers are urged to consider these suggestions when planning testing and prevention strategies.
Free and accessible testing options are widely available to school staff. IDPH made 1 million free rapid tests available to schools earlier this year. 160 school districts have opted into the SHIELD testing program, performing regular surveillance testing for schools at no cost to the district. Almost 50,000 tests have been performed by SHIELD since the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
Vaccines continue to be the strongest protection against COVID-19 for all ages. Students, teachers, and staff are all strongly encouraged to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters to prevent serious illness and even death. Information on finding vaccines and booster shots can be found at www.vaccines.gov.
“We have said all along that we should be following the science. Unlike earlier in the pandemic, we now have vaccines, vaccines to combat the newest variants, treatments and our hospitals are no longer overloaded,” said Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin. “Because of all of this, we agree with the governor’s decision to lift the vaccine or test mandate. The safety of students, and all those who work with them in our schools across the state, has always been our number one concern. We are glad to see so many smiling faces as we begin the 2022-23 school year.”
“Throughout the pandemic, Governor Pritzker has made the tough decisions necessary to keep all Illinoisans healthy and safe,” said Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery. “By extending the emergency proclamation and eliminating the “vaccine or test” mandate, he is continuing to prioritize safety while ensuring our state adapts to changing circumstances and continues down the road to recovery.”
“Educators across Illinois have spent the past two years prioritizing students’ learning and well-being. Their dedication brought students safely back to the classroom,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “With the knowledge and insights we have gained about COVID-19 and how to prevent its spread, Illinois can now safely lift the requirement for school personnel to be vaccinated or tested weekly. We are so grateful to reach yet another milestone in pandemic recovery and thank all of our educators, administrators, and other school personnel for the vital role they continue to play in keeping our communities safe.”
Two people were killed and seven injured in a mass shooting in Chicago’s Washington Park on Tuesday night. With at least 43 shell casings recovered at the scene, police said an automatic weapon was likely used in the attack. The public is being urged to help find the shooter.
This week’s incident is the 30th mass shooting to take place in the state of Illinois since Memorial Day of this year, which in total have taken 23 lives and injured 146 people according to the Gun Violence Archive.
“Mass shootings have taken place in Illinois once every four days since Memorial Day — a horrible reality that we must not accept. Legislative support has grown for a ban on weapons of war like the ones likely used in the shooting at Washington Park — assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, which make instances of violence exponentially more deadly,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC.
“G-PAC continues to push state leaders to pass these common-sense policies at their earliest opportunity. In order to do so, we must also work to protect and expand the gun safety majorities in the Illinois General Assembly so that this legislation and other violence prevention measures can be passed and signed into law. We are encouraged by the support of state leaders and lawmakers thus far and will continue our direct advocacy to make Illinois a safer state.”
Q: There are claims that the bill prevents police officers from forcibly removing a trespasser from one’s property. … Is that claim true or false?
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis): Well, I think it’s at least partially true, if not completely true. That relates to a trespasser on property, not inside the residence, but on property. And it says that that person is not subject to arrest unless they are presenting a risk of the safety of an individual or the community. So if an individual is simply on property without authorization or trespass. The police are simply to cite and then leave. […]
Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell: I think that Representative Windhorst is right that part of that legislation says that law enforcement should not arrest for the lowest level offenses. But the next line gives law enforcement the sole authority to make that decision. And it’s also important to note that that piece of legislation was actually taken from recommendations from a group of states attorneys, court system actors and prosecutors in a report that was released in April 2020. So that gives law enforcement the flexibility to actually make that decision themselves.
* This is from the April 2020 Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Final Report, mentioned by Mitchell, on the trespassing language…
Law enforcement shall issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest, upon proper identification, for those accused of Class B and C traffic and criminal misdemeanor offenses, or of petty and business offenses, who pose no obvious threat to the community or any person, or who have no obvious medical or mental health issues that pose a risk to their own safety. Those released on citation shall be scheduled into court within 21 days. Subsequent court reminder notification shall be provided via mail, electronically, text or telephone.
(a-1) Law enforcement shall issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest, upon proper identification, for those accused of traffic and Class B and C criminal misdemeanor offenses, or of petty and business offenses, who pose no obvious threat to the community or any person, or who have no obvious medical or mental health issues that pose a risk to 25 their own safety. Those released on citation shall be scheduled in to court within 21 days.
Mitchell says the statute gives law enforcement officers discretion to interpret what an “obvious threat” is. Somebody camped out on a person’s porch and won’t leave after being ordered to by the police could easily be declared a threat, in other words.
But even Democrats have told me they are looking for ways to tighten up the language in the fall veto session. We’ll see.
Whatever we have to change we will change. I want to again say that we have committed to making sure that this will make Illinois safe and also furthers justice in this state. We’ve got to get it right and it will take some tweaking over time. We’ve already tweaked some, we’ll continue to do that where it’s necessary.
* Anyway, back to the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Final Report on this topic…
Arrest is an essential and integral function of effective policing. However, the practice is far more intrusive to individual freedom, subjecting a person to potential pretrial detention or unnecessary conditions of pretrial release. Citation in lieu of arrest authorizes law enforcement to release a subject, in appropriate non-violent cases, with a date to appear in court, rather than being subjected to formalized arrest and booking procedures.
The American Bar Association and International Association of Chiefs of Police foster a policy favoring issuance of citations. “It should be the policy of every law enforcement agency to issue citations in lieu of arrest or continued custody to the maximum extent consistent with the effective enforcement of the law.” Nationwide, law enforcement departments utilize some form of citation in lieu of arrest. Approximately 87% of police agencies participate in this form of policing with 80% of these jurisdictions having ten (10) years or more experience using this arrest alternative.
Republican Sen. John Curran and Republican Rep. Dan Ugaste were on that commission, as was a representative of the Illinois Association Chiefs of Police and former US Attorney Rodger Heaton.
* I asked Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office for comment…
Under the SAFE-T Act, law enforcement officers can continue to use their judgement to arrest a person that is a threat to the community.
The statute clearly states, “law enforcement shall issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest, upon proper identification, for those accused of traffic and Class B and C criminal misdemeanor offenses, or of petty and business offenses, who pose no obvious threat to the community or any person, or who have no obvious medical or mental health issues that pose a risk to their own safety.”
If the law enforcement community needs more clarity regarding their ability to arrest people who are posing a threat to other people or themselves then our administration is happy to work with them and lawmakers to make that even more clear.
* The reason I asked for some clarification is because the trespassing issue has become a hot topic of discussion. Sen. Darren Bailey said this on Dan Proft’s WIND show last week…
The simple offense of trespassing in your house, on your yard, in your business. The law enforcement can only stand there, by this SAFE-T Act and write a warning. That’s all that they can do. They cannot forcefully remove these people. So we’ve got a pretty dire situation on our hands
Law enforcement do have discretion to remove the person from the location of the alleged criminal activity, and then cite and release the person from another location.
Illinois should aim to build up a now $1 billion rainy-day fund by more than $2 billion to manage through future economic crises, state Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in pressing for passage this fall of legislation that would funnel more revenue to the once-barren fund.
States on average hold reserves that would allow them to manage for 35 days. Illinois only this year tipped the scales over the $1 billion mark — reaching $1.039 billion — but that equates to just one week worth of operations, Mendoza said.
A target of $3.25 billion would still fall short of the 35-day mark, but Mendoza — whose office manages state bill, debt, and pension payments — said it would provide sufficient cushion to manage paying obligations during future economic downturns.
“Really, that money needs to be there in case of another economic collapse through no fault of our own,” Mendoza said during an address to the Chicago City Club Wednesday. That level would allow the office to reasonably manage bill payments. “I’m not going to feel comfortable until we are at about 7.5% in reserves.”
Comptroller Susana Mendoza told a crowd at The City Club of Chicago that Illinois has cut its backlog of unpaid bills from $16.7 billion in 2017 to just a fraction of that today. […]
She also bragged about Illinois’ rainy day fund.
“It’s about $1.039 billion as compared to the less than $60,000 that I inherited,” Mendoza said. “[But] even a billion-dollars sound like a lot, but that’s a week’s worth of reserves.”
By comparison, Wisconsin’s rainy day fund is nearly four billion-dollars.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate rose +0.1 percentage point to 4.5 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +4,100 in August, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The July monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +31,200 to +35,000 jobs. The July unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 4.4 percent. The August payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In August, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment include: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+4,500), Construction (+3,500), and Government (+1,500). The industry sectors that reported the largest monthly payroll declines include: Manufacturing (-3,200), Professional and Business Services (-2,600), and Information (-500). […]
The state’s unemployment rate was +0.8 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for August, which was 3.7 percent, up +0.2 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -1.5 percentage points from a year ago when it was at 6.0 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +239,700 jobs, with gains across nearly all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases include: Leisure and Hospitality (+58,600), Professional and Business Services (+51,900), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+50,800). The Mining sector reported no change in payroll employment over-the-year. In August, total nonfarm payrolls were up +4.1 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +4.0 percent in the nation.
The number of unemployed workers was up from the prior month, a +1.1 percent increase to 290,200 and was down -23.0 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was almost unchanged (0.0 percent) over-the-month and up +2.0 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
In Illinois last year, 7% of residents — about 875,000 people — lacked health insurance coverage, according to U.S. Census data released Thursday. […]
Nationally, about 8.6% of people were uninsured last year, according to data from the Census’ American Community Survey. […]
The percentages of Black and Latino people in Illinois without insurance were much higher than the percentage of white people lacking coverage. About 7.9% of Black Illinois residents and 15.8% of Hispanic or Latino people didn’t have insurance in 2021, compared with only 4.3% of white people. […]
In Illinois, the percentage of people uninsured, by income, was highest among those who had household incomes of $25,000 to $49,999. About 10.8% of people in that income group in Illinois were uninsured.
* Related…
* Education advocate Jitu Brown learned the fight for equity in Chicago: Brown started KOCO’s youth development and youth leadership programs. As he worked with the students, schools began to take an interest. They wanted, in particular, Black men to bring their experience and knowledge into the classrooms. So Brown did. And as he did, the inequity in the schools became quite clear. “You’re working with these young people, but you’re noticing that at this school, there’s one computer in the entire class and there’s no air conditioning,” he recalled. “Then I’m also going to schools and other communities and I’m working with student councils. You walk in and the school is bright. The classrooms are small. They got world language. They have counselors. They have teacher aides in every class.”
The elimination of carbon-emitting power plants in Illinois over the next 20 years will leave the Chicago area without enough generating capacity to meet its needs, forcing the region to import electricity from other states for the first time in modern memory.
That’s the conclusion of a new report by PJM Interconnection, the power-grid manager for a multistate region from northern Illinois to the mid-Atlantic. PJM blames the closing of fossil fuel plants—which to date has been driven by poor economics but soon will be mandated by the state’s year-old Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA—for a projected capacity gap that will force the area to look elsewhere for power by 2030 at the latest. PJM further concludes that billions in spending on new and upgraded power transmission lines will be required to bring power to Chicago from Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. […]
“The [Pritzker] administration finds this study incredibly myopic and is confident that as we work to implement the goals of CEJA over the next two decades there will be enough clean energy options for consumers and the grid—it’s exactly why the bill incentivizes the production of clean energy and the market has already moved away from fossil fuel options on its own,” spokeswoman Jordan Abuddayeh says in an email. […]
“Based on the additional clean, renewable energy expected to come online as a result of CEJA and the amount of power nuclear plants in northern Illinois can produce, we project that there will be enough generation at nearly all times of the year to continue to reliably meet our customers’ needs without importing power from other regions,” ComEd spokesman Paul Elsberg says in an email. “While it’s possible there will be times in future years when some generation will need to be imported to meet demand when it’s at its highest, this will depend on many factors—among them, how much solar energy, wind energy and battery storage is added to the power grid, and when.”
* And that’s not all. Earlier this week, Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow issued a preminary injunction against the Illinois EPA to stop its enforcement of an annual emissions cap that predated the actual implementation of the rules. The retroactive rule meant that Elwood Energy LLC did not have “fair notice” of “how its 2021 conduct was regulated until IEPA issued its rules in January 2022.” The company was asked to generate more electricity than normal in the fall of last year and that generation had left precious little space under the retroactive cap imposed in January. The company claimed it was losing millions of dollars because it could not operate. The ruling is here.
“By requiring compliance four months in the past,” Grischow wrote, “the rule penalizes Elwood and harms its business, in violation of the Federal and Illinois Due Process Clauses.”
React from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
We’re not surprised that fossil fuel companies would challenge Illinois’ new clean energy direction. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act’s steady path to eliminating pollution from gas and coal plants is gradual, achievable, good for public health, and essential to becoming a leader in the clean energy economy.
These provisions were rigorously reviewed by experts. The preliminary injunction would allow a 1,700-MW methane gas plant to flout CEJA’s emissions limitations because JPower’s Elwood gas plant has claimed it cannot accurately calculate how much nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other harmful pollutants it emits.
We are confident the provisions will ultimately be upheld by the judicial system and thwart Elwood’s efforts to avoid compliance. We look forward to achieving CEJA’s bold goals of decarbonizing our electric sector and creating good, equitable jobs and economic opportunities in the clean energy sources that will power Illinois in the future.
…Adding… On a related note, here’s a press release…
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved the Dakota Access Pipeline and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline expansion in the Prairie State today.
The approval comes after a court decision vacating the previous approval, because the prior approval did not demonstrate how the expansion benefited Illinoisians and the ICC failed to consider the troubling record of the pipeline operator.
In January 2022, the Illinois 4th District Appellate Court vacated the approval of the pipeline expansion and remanded it back to the ICC. The suit was brought by Save Our Illinois Land (SOIL), the Sierra Club, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and area landowner William Klingele.
Following are quotes from the litigants:
“This decision shows the ICC’s continued favoritism toward business interests at the expense of Illinois citizens. It endangers us all,” said Deni Mathews, chairperson of Save Our Illinois Land. “Instead of evaluating the full impact of such projects, we are left to grapple with the continued effect of carbon pollution on our air, water, and soil. Carbon emissions increase while our earth’s climate systems are providing clear evidence that we must stop.”
“In signing off yet again on this reckless expansion of the Dakota Access pipeline, the ICC is putting critical water resources at even greater risk,” said Catherine Collentine, Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign. “From the beginning, DAPL has threatened clean drinking water and trampled on Indigenous rights. Allowing even more dirty oil to run through it could be disastrous for communities along its route. We will continue to work to shut down this dangerous oil pipeline altogether.”
“This pipeline expansion threatens our health, our climate, and Illinois’ waters,” said J.C. Kibbey, IL clean energy advocate at NRDC. “There are few, if any, benefits to the people of this state, but the massive risks to Illinois are clear. While we bear the risk, big out-of-state fossil fuel companies reap the profits.”
* I heard this morning that ABC7 and WGN had followed the lead of NBC5 and stopped airing the “Scream” ad paid for by the People Who Play By The Rules PAC. I asked the committee if this was true and they confirmed it today. Here’s Dan Proft…
All the network affiliates approved the ad. Then came the push back from the targets the ‘news’ stations serve, Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot, and other enthusiasts of lawlessness and unchecked violence and down came my ad. It began with NBC and, since all these network affiliate executives share a brain, the rest of the stations, with one notable exception, followed. The video of the attack is perfectly fine for use by the ‘news’ stations if it’s in furtherance of their salacious ‘if it bleeds it leads’ coda. But if someone takes the attack in question, same video, and connects the dots to the people who’ve abdicated their responsibilities for providing public safety, well, then down it must come. It’s indicative of the lengths the Chicago Democrat Media Complex will go to protect their own–and I’m not talking about their viewers.
Discuss.
Also, as we’ve discussed before, the video does appear to have been altered.
*** UPDATE *** From the victim’s attorney…
Rich – I represent the victim in the Scream Ad that Dan Proft has been running and I just wanted to note that the victim was never asked or consulted by them regarding the use of that video. Not that she would have agreed to allow it, but at least she should have been given a heads up that it was coming out. She wishes to remain anonymous and heal from this whole ordeal and the Scream ad isn’t helping. All the best. Tom
Thomas More Leinenweber
Leinenweber Baroni & Daffada, LLC
* Darren Bailey was on WMAY yesterday and in a wide-ranging interview with host Jim Leach talked about how school districts are “plagued with a lot of unfunded mandates from state government. He was asked for examples. “CRT and the sex ed. Those are the two of the newest ones,” he replied.
When asked if CRT was actually a state mandate, Bailey claimed it was being taught as a result of a state rule. He was then asked to define Critical Race Theory…
The best definition I have of it is it simply un-American and it actually teaches racism. That’s exactly what we’re pinpointing instead of focusing on teaching our children to read and write and do the things that public education is supposed to do. We are supposed to educate our children, not indoctrinate them. And, and through Gov. Pritzker’s reign for the last three and a half years, our schools have become indoctrination centers and that has gotta stop.
He could not name a single school district when pressed, but did say he would get the host a list.
* Asked if elections in this state are secure, Bailey said “No”…
It’s interesting because the last four years that I observed, two years in the House and two years in the Senate, when we talk about election integrity laws, my Democrat friends on the other side of the aisle, they’ll stand up and laugh and just, you know, it’s all it’s, and, and, and a couple of them have said in the past, there’s, there’s always been cheating, get used to it.
Um, OK. I’m pretty sure that would’ve been news if someone had said that on the House or Senate floor, but maybe I just missed it.
Bailey said that his campaign is targeting 2,000 “high risk precincts,” which, again, seems like a goofy waste of resources, but whatevs.
Q: Senator, one last question for you, because I know we’re out of time. You were quoted by the Center Square this week as saying common sense tells us to repeal everything that JB Pritzker signed into law. That’s why we’re having these problems. So I gotta ask on a couple of specifics, would you wanna roll back the minimum wage the governor signed into law? Do you wanna see that minimum wage lowered in Illinois?
Bailey: We need to have that conversation because it’s, we need to do a study. You know, I was one of the first ones out with Jason Plummer that sat down with the University of Illinois when they started asking for more money because of the impact of minimum wage on ‘em. So, need to make sure that it’s not driving business out. And, [inaudible because his phone kept breaking up] the small business for the next three years.
Q: And would you want to make marijuana illegal again in Illinois? The governor signed recreational marijuana into law. Would you seek to repeal that?
Bailey: I don’t see that changing in Illinois, don’t see the minimum wage changing either. Because all of this stuff requires this, the legislature, uh, you know, wrapping their minds around this and, and presenting that to me.
As always, please pardon all transcription errors.
Renae Eze, press secretary for Abbott, told Fox News Digital that Lightfoot and Pritzker are “absolute hypocrites.”
“So much for Chicago’s ‘Welcoming City Ordinance.’ These Democrat elites are absolute hypocrites, and now their hypocrisy is on full display for the entire nation. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot have been complaining about a few hundred migrants being bused into self-declared sanctuary city Chicago, then turn around and dump them in the suburbs for Republican mayors to deal with. Instead of complaining about fulfilling their ‘welcoming city’ promises, these Democrat hypocrites should call on President Biden to do his job and secure the border—something the President continues failing to do,” she said.
Texas is literally dumping asylum seekers at Union Station, often in the middle of the night with no real notice. Illinois, Chicago and Cook County then have to scramble to put those folks in hotels or other shelters and provide them with services. The suburban mayors don’t have to “deal with” a single thing, just like they wouldn’t if somebody booked a wedding at a hotel in their towns. And on that point, here’s IDHS Director Grace Hou-Ovnik yesterday…
There have been many questions about how we’ve identified hotel rooms. Well, I would say to anyone who has had the privilege of planning or hosting a large wedding or a conference, you will know that finding of block of rooms for 100 people usually takes over a year. And as the governor said, sometimes we have three hours, sometimes we have 12 hours. So in addition to just plain availability, we want to assure that those regions also have the access to support services. And we’ve also returned to hotels that have previously welcomed Afghans earlier this year. With support from the National Guard we can work ahead more strategically in built up shelter capacity and other types of settings.
* And Mayor Lightfoot conceded yesterday that suburban mayors should be informed and would be…
I also want to make sure that we continue to talk to, as I have, with our suburban mayors and village town presidents, I think we’ve had some productive conversations over the last few days. And we need to make sure that they are in the loop. No one No mayor wants folks coming to other city without advance notice, to be able to ask all the questions, and frankly, be in a position to answer the questions of the residents. That is right. And it’s fair. And we’re going to do our part to make sure that that happens.
I hope they keep that promise because it’s only right, even though local mayors don’t have to do anything unless they want to help. Countryside Mayor Sean McDermott, for example, has really stepped up and is helping coordinate donations for folks in local hotel rooms.
* This is the old game of Own the Libs and is designed to provoke the exact sort of outrage that Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot and others are displaying. They should probably just calm down because this Texas dude is clearly enjoying his time in the limelight. I mean, just check this out. Abbott appears to have coordinated with the local media, but not local officials…
Outside the naval observatory where Texas just dropped off two bus loads of migrants outside the VP’s residence. pic.twitter.com/vmUmduFZrT
* And I’m not sayin’, but just sayin’ this does indeed remind some folks about another “Own the Libs” stunt during a prior era…
To embarrass Northern liberals and humiliate Black people, southern White Citizens Councils started their so-called "Reverse Freedom Rides," giving Black people one-way tickets to northern cities with false promises of jobs, housing, and better lives.https://t.co/xLpTjxG0PDpic.twitter.com/voiPBbwRuN
* Back to Abbott’s point that the governor and the mayor should be putting pressure on the Biden administration. Here’s Mayor Lightfoot again…
I was in Washington DC last week, talking to members of Customs and Border Patrol, national FEMA, ICE and DHS. And we made it very clear, I made it very clear that our expectation is that they were going to have a plan that features communication and collaboration with interior cities. And they must do that, and they must do that soon. I know that they are under enormous pressures. This is not a new challenge at the border, but this is a new challenge for us. And we need federal support, resources, communication and collaboration and that has to come in short order.
What I will also say as I said there, any dollar that goes to the state of Texas, or the state of Arizona, or any other state that is abdicating its responsibility and manufacturing this crisis in our cities, every single one of those dollars needs to be re-committed to cities like Chicago, New York, and Washington DC. We should not, and taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for this kind of callous, inhumane treatment on the part of someone who is racing to the bottom for a political stunt. Those monies need to be reprogrammed and come to us to help support the efforts that we are engaged in to support the migrants who are coming to our cities.
McDonald’s is planning to open a new innovation lab at its West Loop headquarters.
The lab will focus on creating restaurant solutions and technologies, McDonald’s said today in a news release. The roughly 120 employees from the burger giant’s Innovation Center in Romeoville, which opened in 1995, will be given the option to relocate to the city. McDonald’s will exit the Romeoville lease at the end of 2023. […]
In the news release, Mayor Lori Lightfoot lauded the company for “continuing to bet on Chicago.” McDonald’s said it is not receiving financial incentives for the move.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski railed on Chicago and its crime issues this afternoon, in an effort to rally the city and its business leaders to improve the place their companies call home. […]
“There’s a general sense out there that our city is in crisis,” he said. “The truth is, it’s more difficult today for me to convince (a McDonald’s executive) to relocate to Chicago from one of our other offices than it was just a few years ago. It’s more difficult for me to recruit a new employee to McDonald’s to join us in Chicago than it was in the past.” […]
There needs to be better collaboration between the public and private sectors, he said. Improving public safety should be the first priority. Kempczinski said he knows the city is focused on the issue, but business leaders don’t know what the city’s plan is.
“Let us know the plan so we can support it,” he said. “It’s going to take partnership.”
Today marks the day that Indiana’s near-total ban on abortion takes effect. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the new policy into law in early August after the Indiana General Assembly passed the measure during a two-week special session. […]
The new law bans abortion in most instances at zero weeks of life. The only exceptions are in the case of fatal fetal anomalies, if the life or serious health of the mother is at risk and in cases of rape and incest. Victims of rape or incest may have an abortion up to 10 weeks post-fertilization. In those instances, the physician performing the abortion will have to certify in writing that the pregnancy being terminated was the result of rape or incest. […]
Abortion care providers say it’s difficult to predict how many abortions will performed in Indiana under the new law
Last year, 8,414 abortions occurred in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Health’s annual pregnancy termination report. The report does not include information on how many of those abortions were performed for any of the instances allowed under the new law.
* Planned Parenthood of Illinois press release…
On the day the Indiana abortion ban goes into effect, Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is proud to announce the expansion of abortion care options at its existing Champaign Health Center, 302 E. Stoughton. PPIL has renovated the health center in order to add in-clinic abortion services for the first time to its options for patients. The Champaign expansion is doubling in-clinic abortion access for Central Illinois and is providing abortion care options in closer proximity to people traveling from Indiana and SW Ohio. PPIL is working with providers from Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Ohio to adequately staff the increase in abortion care.
“We anticipated Indiana residents losing access to abortion care, so we decided to expand our care in Champaign” said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “Indiana’s draconian abortion ban does not stop people from having abortions, it only makes it more difficult for people to access abortion in a safe and timely manner. PPIL is dedicated to serving the patients who face the most barriers to accessing care and to ensuring that all people, regardless of their financial situation, have access to high-quality, confidential reproductive health services.”
The expansion also increases the health center’s footprint by 5,000 square feet, adding additional procedure rooms, waiting rooms, education/consultation rooms, ultrasound rooms, a recovery room, a lab, and a clinician’s office.
Since Roe fell, the Champaign health center has seen abortion patients from 11 states outside of Illinois with the largest number of patients coming from Indiana because of the close proximity to the state. Currently, 11 percent of the abortion patients seen at the Champaign health center are from Indiana. This number is expected to increase now that the Indiana abortion ban is in effect. In addition to abortion care, patients coming from Indiana are also seeking gender-affirming care and other reproductive and family planning services.
By expanding the centrally located Champaign health center to offer in-clinic abortion options, PPIL now offers in-clinic abortions at seven of its 17 health centers, all of which offer medication abortion. The Champaign Health Center continues to offer medication abortion and provides cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, gender-affirming health care, and other essential reproductive health care.
The new Indiana abortion law is forcing doctors to leave the state, including an Indianapolis OB-GYN who says she can’t continue to provide essential care for her patients.
Beginning Thursday September 15th, residents in Indiana cannot get an abortion except for cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother. The procedure is only allowed to be performed in hospitals as well.
Indianapolis OB-GYN Dr. Katie McGugh is a born and raised Hoosier. She’s been practicing obstetrics and gynecology for several years in Indiana. She also perfors abortions. When the Indiana abortion restrictions go into effect Thursday, she is planning to move her practice to Illinois.
According to a survey at the IU School of Medicine, 80% of trainees said they were less likely to stay and practice in Indiana after the near-total abortion ban goes into effect. Many doctors say they don’t feel like they can give patients the healthcare they need without being able to perform abortions legally.
“With the ban on abortion access in Indiana, it has become impossible for me to practice my chosen profession which is OB-GYN. That inherently includes abortion care because we know part of a woman’s reproductive life span includes abortions,” McHugh said.
Abortion providers in Illinois believe this will bring more people into the state for the procedure, putting even more pressure on abortion providers, who are already dealing with higher demand.
“We in Illinois have been anticipating this move by the Indiana legislature and governor for weeks. We have been preparing and we are ready to meet the needs of Indianans,” said Brigid Leahy, with Planned Parenthood of Illinois Action.
Abortion providers are now expecting even more out-of-state patients coming from Indiana.
“I’m sure that adjustments are going to have to be made and it does put additional stress on the capacity of our reproductive healthcare system. We will be continuing to ramp up our capacity,” Leahy said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed two lawsuits in the past two weeks seeking to stop the ban from taking effect.
One argues that the ban violates the Indiana Constitution by infringing on the right to privacy and the guarantee of equal privileges. The other claims the ban conflicts with the state’s religious freedom law that Indiana Republicans passed in 2015 and that sparked a widespread backlash from critics who said it allowed discrimination against gay people.
The question of whether the state constitution protects abortion rights is undecided. A state appeals court ruled in 2004 that privacy is a core value under the state constitution that extends to all residents, including women seeking an abortion. But the Indiana Supreme Court later upheld a law requiring an 18-hour waiting period before a woman could get an abortion, though it didn’t decide whether the state constitution included the right to privacy or abortion.
Indiana University law professor Daniel Conkle said bringing the lawsuits so soon before the ban was set to effect made it hard to get an injunction blocking it, but that it taking effect won’t end the court fight.
Over a hundred people gathered closely together in the lawn of the Monroe County Courthouse to hear a modified version of the Jewish ceremony Havdalah. As one member spoke a Hebrew prayer, another carefully guarded a braided candle against intruding winds.
In Jewish tradition, the ceremony separates the holy day of Shabbat from an average day. It separates rest and work, lightness and darkness, Hoosier Jews for Choice member Sue Swartz explained. On Wednesday night, vigil organizers marked this as a separation between having abortion rights and not having them.
“Through this ritual, we mark the end of an era of full rights and a transition into a darker time,” Swartz said. […]
Jess Marchbank, state programs manager at All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center, noted she was tired and sad as she stepped up to the crowd of demonstrators at the Monroe County Courthouse. In the final few days before the law was to take effect, Marchbank had fielded calls from people seeking to terminate their pregnancy before access was heavily restricted across the state. Marchbank shared some anecdotes about what it was like.
“We know that most people who need abortion are already parents. They may be suddenly struggling to provide enough diapers for their little ones or unable to afford the exorbitant cost of rent, health insurance or child care,” Marchbank said. “They’re also just people who aren’t ready to have a child for a multitude of reasons, and those reasons don’t matter. What matters is honoring their bodily autonomy.”
* “Vote No on Amendment 1,” a ballot initiative committee formed recently by Illinois Policy Institute execs John Tillman and Matt Paprocki, has received its first contribution.
Proponents have raised $13.5 million for their Vote Yes for Workers Rights ballot initiative committee and are have been running TV ads for a while now.
* A bit of coverage…
* What the Proposed Workers’ Rights Amendment Could Mean for Illinois: The so-called Workers’ Rights Amendment would guarantee Illinois workers the constitutional right to collectively bargain for things like wages, hours and working conditions. “By giving unions power, you give workers power,” said Marc Poulos, executive director of the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting. “Unions are one of the single-most democratic institutions in the country.”
* Illinois Chamber of Commerce opposes workers’ rights amendment: Maisch said union leaders don’t want to go in front of state lawmakers, the public or their own workers to explain why right-to-work is good or bad. He feels the state’s top labor organizations want to have indefinite control.
Hours after the White House announced a tentative railway labor agreement had been reached and a potential freight railroad strike averted, Metra and Amtrak said they were restoring canceled trains.
Metra trains Thursday night on the BNSF and Union Pacific North, Northwest and West lines will run as scheduled, the commuter rail agency said. The trains had previously been canceled, as the BNSF and Union Pacific freight railroads that own and operate those lines said they would begin cutting back service in preparation for a potential work stoppage.
Amtrak said it was “working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures.” The passengers train service had previously canceled all long-distance routes beginning Thursday and some local service beginning Thursday night, including routes between Chicago and downstate Illinois, St. Louis and cities in Michigan.
Under federal law, a freight railroad strike or lockout could have begun as soon as Friday, shutting down rail lines across the country and halting shipments of food, fuel and goods. But railroad and union representatives spent 20 hours in negotiations at the Labor Department Wednesday hammering out a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote.
The president was personally involved in the talks, calling into negotiations convened by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in Washington around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and pressing both the carriers and the unions to come to an agreement in phone calls this week. Biden had grown animated in recent days about the lack of scheduling flexibility for workers, expressing a mixture of confusion and anger that management was refusing to budge on that point, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of private conversations with the president.
The political consequences of a rail strike less than two months before the midterm elections would have been monumental for Democrats, with Republican lawmakers blaming the administration for not securing a deal. Three of Biden’s Cabinet secretaries, his top economic adviser and his chief of staff were involved in the talks on an hourly basis, and White House aides drafted contingency plans for protecting the nation’s drinking water and energy systems if a deal had fallen through.
“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said in a statement announcing the deal. “I thank the unions and rail companies for negotiating in good faith and reaching a tentative agreement that will keep our critical rail system working and avoid disruption of our economy.”
The railroad industry slashed almost 30% of its workforce over the last six years, cutting pay and other costs as they increased profits, stock buybacks and dividends for investors. Profits at billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, (BRKa.N) which owns BNSF, rose 9.2% in the most recent quarter to $1.7 billion.
The number of U.S. railway workers has dropped from over 600,000 in 1970 to about 150,000 in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, due technology and cost-cutting. The result is that many industry workers are on call at all hours, waiting to respond at short notice to work for days at a time. […]
The president is not yet out of the woods when it comes to supply-chain labor issues. Some 22,000 union workers at 29 West Coast ports that handle almost 40% of U.S. imports are also in high-stakes labor contract negotiations.
Bailey provided NBC 5 with a copy of the two-page income tax cover sheets for his last five years worth of returns.
According to those documents, his Adjusted Gross Income in 2017 was $1,776. The following year, it increased to $211,000. In 2019, it declined slightly to $189,000.
Amid the COVID pandemic, Bailey reported a loss of $164,000, while in 2021 he reported a loss of $99,000.
Bailey cited the purchase of new equipment for businesses for reported losses of income.
During those two years, ProPublica reported that Bailey received more than $570,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and the Chicago Tribune reported that he received $280,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
…Adding… Pritzker will release his tax returns when he files next month, the Sun-Times tells us…
Pritzker’s campaign offered praise for the governor’s rival for peeling back the curtain on his federal tax obligations but questioned why Bailey withheld the release of his state tax returns for the period.
“We’re glad to see Bailey releasing his federal returns,” Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said. “We look forward to the release of his state returns, as the governor has done every year.”
Q: While you’re in Chicago immersing yourself in the culture, do you plan to take public transportation?
Bailey: It’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought about that. I want to immerse myself in the culture. So thank you for that idea. That’s what makes this great. Let’s talk, let’s communicate. I need to know where I need to be, what I need to do. I love it.
You’re moving to Chicago … why? As a display of courage? You said, to immerse yourself in the culture. Fair enough, Darren Bailey, let’s get to it. You can’t just spend the next … umm … eight weeks rushing from the Hancock entrance, surrounded by a phalanx of linemen from Xenia Junior College into a pair of waiting black SUVs. What does that prove?
Nothing erodes fear like experience. We need to get you out on the town, over to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Founded by teachers, you know. C’mon, I’ll take you, and even pick up the admission (ote-nay oo-tay eaders-ray: ission-admay is ee-fray). Then lunch at 5 Rabanitos. I love that place. Or “5 Radishes” in Spanish. See? You’re learning already!
Nor will we limit ourselves to one part of the city. We’ll ride the L, we’ll wander around Bronzeville, unafraid. Over the past 35 years, I’ve pretty much ranged across the entire city. From South Avenue O, within spitting distance of the Indiana border, to streets below Lower Wacker Drive. And let me tell you a secret: You can go anywhere in Chicago. It’s OK. Back when there were high-rise public housing projects — the Robert Taylor Homes, Cabrini-Green — I visited them all. At night. You know who lived there? Not demons with pitchforks. People. Working folks. Women lugging groceries. Some places are more dangerous, some less, but my personal rule is: If people can live there, I can visit. Never got shot once.
* The Question: Any Chicago tips for candidate Bailey?
* Darren Bailey held a press conference in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side today…
I’m sorry we have to be here today on such an occasion. It breaks my heart as well to see what’s happening across Chicago and especially what happened near here last night. Those affected by the senseless shootings in Washington Park, Garfield Park and the families of the more than the 500 people that have been killed in Chicago this year, I want you to know that I am fighting to end this bloodshed.
The Acclivus folks showed up to the presser and they were not pleased. At one point, two of the group’s leaders engaged with Bailey’s running mate, Stephanie Trussell…
“Our staff was on the frontlines out here last night,” Acclivus organizer Bamani Obadele told Trussell. “We’ve been running these games for five weeks without any incident happening. Last night was the first tragic incident happening. And so it’s shameful to use this as some type of political football on the deaths of innocent people. There are two lives that were lost, a young man and an elderly man who was out there watching the game with us. And so I get it, we’re in this space. But this is really Willie Horton-like tactics.”
Rev. Janette Wilson, who is a senior official at Operation PUSH and very active in the city, told Trussell that Bailey has “never been in this community before doing anything.” When Trussell asked Rev. Wilson when the last time Gov. Pritzker was in the community, Wilson and others said he’s been there several times. They weren’t wrong.
* Anyway, the Bailey press conference was interesting because the activists were also asking questions. Click here to listen. The activists held their own media availability, and Obadele told reporters, “He didn’t come here with any other solution. He’s living downtown in an ivory tower, talking to people here on the South Side. If he wants to impress us, move in to Washington Park.”
* I’ve received two blast emails from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association asking for money to fund a TV ad in the governor’s race. Excerpt from one…
Our team is ALREADY working on a TV commercial that will EXPOSE Darren Bailey as the true danger to Illinois that he is, but we need to raise $10,000 by tomorrow night in order to get it up and running.
Can you please rush a donation of $5 before midnight tomorrow to help us fight like hell against Darren and his millionaire mega-donors? We need to counter any TV ads that this conservative group has planned, as well as any commercials that will come directly from Darren’s campaign.
Wait. The governor is a billionaire and has plenty of dough while down-ballot candidates could use some help, so what the heck? “The ILDCCA is gonna air TV ads in the governor’s race?,” I asked an official with the association. His emailed reply…
Former President Trump endorsed Bailey before the primary, but would you welcome President Trump again back in Illinois before the November 8th election?
You know, President Trump is not on the ballot.
He wasn’t on the ballot in June when he campaigned for Bailey.
ProPublica first reported that Bailey received nearly $570,000 in PPP loans. The Chicago Tribune also notes there was another $280,000 from the USDA for farmers, and since 1995 his farming operation has received $2.1 million in federal subsidies.
“It is the federal government that’s pretty well in charge of export and import, demand, embargos. They control these prices,” he said.
States like Wisconsin and Georgia have recently removed hundreds of thousands of names off their voter lists, in what critics are calling “voter purges.” And in preparation for the 2020 election, the Ohio secretary of state removed nearly half a million names, thousands erroneously.
Election officials in those states say they are cleaning up their voter lists, deleting voters who are inactive, have moved or passed away. But voting rights groups say voter purges are often flawed and states should instead implement same-day voter registration.
So where does Illinois fall in all of this? According to Matt Dietrich with the Illinois Board of Elections, it’s very hard for eligible voters to get kicked off the lists here. Even if voters are removed, eligible Illinois voters still have many ways to ensure that their ballot is cast.
* SoS race…
Illinois Republican Dan Brady today announced that as the next Secretary of State he will reduce all Illinois motor vehicle license plate fees by $50 for one year to provide relief to economically hard-hit Illinois families.
“Illinois citizens have been sucker-punched by skyrocketing food, housing and medical care costs, and enough is enough,” Brady said. “That extra $50 per vehicle may help families to pay for groceries, gasoline, school books or their utility bills. Taxpayers have wondered for years where their money goes in Springfield, and it’s about time it went back to them.”
Brady cited the 8.3 percent increase over the past 12 months in the Consumer Price Index as evidence that costs are rising at a higher rate than many people can afford.
“How many Illinois residents get an 8.3 percent raise each year? How are they supposed to keep their heads above water?” Brady said. “Admittedly my plan is only a $50 reduction per vehicle, but $50 still means something today.”
Under the Brady Plan, standard license plate renewal fees for 2023 would be reduced from $151 to $101; personalized plate renewals would drop from $158 to $108; and vanity license plates, currently at $164, would be $114 next year. The current license plate renewal rates would return in 2024.
“The streamlining and efficiency measures I plan to make as Secretary of State will help to absorb the cost of this one-year reduction in license plate fees,” Brady said. “Illinois residents are tightening their belts during these tough times, and we should do the same in state government.”
Brady’s license plate fee reduction plan is in line with other inflation-fighting measures enacted by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislature has frozen the one percent grocery tax, postponed the state’s gasoline tax increase until January 2023, and is providing a $50 income tax rebate to Illinois taxpayers.
…Adding… Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign…
Alexi is committed to saving Illinoisans time and money as the next Secretary of State. However this proposal lacks significant details. Not by coincidence, Dan conveniently leaves out how he intends to make up for the revenue losses in the state budget or who will sponsor it. Furthermore, it’s interesting that as a career politician, Dan is just now coming up with this half-baked idea just 55 days before the election after having more than 20 years to push for it as a member of the Illinois General Assembly.
America used to be stronger, safer and more prosperous. Not anymore. How do these career politicians keep getting away with this? I’m Regan Deering. I’m running for Congress to put people first and restore the American Dream. I’m a fighter who will cut wasteful spending and hold politicians accountable. I’ll fight to reduce the cost of gas and make America energy independent. And I will always defend the police. I’m Regan Deering, I approve this message. Together, we’ll fight the political insiders and put families first.
* ILGOP…
Mary K. O’Brien’s and Elizabeth Rochford’s candidacies for the Illinois Supreme Court reflect the latest iteration of one of Illinois’ oldest and saddest political axioms. For decades, there has been one constant catalyst in the election of justices: the Madigan Machine promotes its own.
Case-in-point, the careers of outgoing Chief Justice Anne Burke and former Justice Tom Kilbride, who lost his retention race in a historic judicial election in 2020. Both Burke and Kilbride were backed by the Madigan Machine.
For decades, the most reliable way of being appointed judge was Mike Madigan and Ed Burke’s stamp of approval. According to a Chicago Tribune article from April 17th, 2011 “Madigan’s List”:
“…Many of those full circuit judges were publicly elected with the help of the Democratic Party that Madigan controls — and the judicial slating committee run by Ald. Edward Burke, 14th. While the party wields overt power in those elections, the process of picking associate judges is touted as a way for talented lawyers to make the bench without bowing to political bosses or wooing uninformed and uninterested voters. But politicking for the coveted associate judgeships is rampant in Chicago’s legal community, and the Tribune found one of the best ways to win a spot is to be on what is widely referred to as ‘Madigan’s list.’”
Now, two more machine judges - Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford - are rising through the ranks of the Madigan Machine, seeking spots on the State’s highest court.
O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois General Assembly after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time. O’Brien also “Helped Madigan Regain The Speakership,” according to the State-Journal Register article “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998” from December 28th, 1997. O’Brien also received over $200,000 in political contributions from political groups led by Madigan over the course of her career.
Rochford was also appointed, not elected, to her judgeship. Rochford served for over two decades on the Illinois Court of Claims, which has long been noted as a proving ground of political patronage. Rochford has given over $15,000 to indicted machine boss and Alderman Ed Burke since 1999. She also gave Burke $1,500 just a month after Burke was charged with 14 counts of corruption. When asked about the contribution, Rochford justified it, calling Burke “a longtime friend of the family”.
“Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford are the latest chapter in Illinois’ sad history of Madigan Machine-backed judges rising through the ranks of Illinois’ judicial system. Illinois voters can’t afford any more Madigan-backed judges who block anti-corruption reforms. We must elect justices to our state’s highest court who are loyal to the rule of law and the people of Illinois, not to indicted party bosses like Mike Madigan and Ed Burke,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe.
* ILGOP…
Since the allegations against State Senator Michael Hastings first came to light, one thing has been consistent throughout the entire saga, crickets from the Governor, Senate President, and Hastings’ Democrat colleagues in the Illinois State Legislature.
According to WBEZ, “For more than two years, lawyers for the state of Illinois fought against a lawsuit filed by the former chief of staff to powerful Sen. Michael Hastings. But earlier this year, the state paid $100,000 to the ex-chief of staff to Hastings and her lawyer to settle the case, which included accusations of racial and gender discrimination against the Democratic lawmaker.”
To date, Hastings’ scandals have left Illinois taxpayers on the hook for nearly $150,000 in legal bills and settlements. In addition to using taxpayer money to settle his harassment claims, Hastings faces very serious allegations of domestic abuse from his wife.
According to the police report obtained by the Edgar County Watchdogs earlier this year, “Hastings treated his wife poorly for the past 8 months being emotionally and verbally abusive” and “That he battered her, by placing her in a choke hold/neck restraint, and slammed her body into a door multiple times”.
Meanwhile, Hastings’ spokesperson lashed-out at the longtime Director of the Illinois Environmental Council who accused Hastings of having “had serious issues with anger management that aren’t appropriate for the workplace where we are making laws for the state of Illinois”. Hastings’ spokesperson called her a “bully” and accused her of lying.
One prominent Democrat has spoken out. State Senator Napoleon Harris actually came to Hastings’ defense saying that he has “known Mike Hastings to be one of the most upstanding, professional, and honest legislators in the Illinois Senate.”
“Since Senator Hastings won’t address the allegations against himself by other means than lawsuits and name-calling tantamount to victim-blaming, Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, along with Senator Hastings’ colleagues in the legislature have some explaining to do. They must be called to answer questions about where they stand on Senator Hastings’ domestic abuse allegations, history of inappropriate workplace behavior, taxpayer-funded legal settlement, and if they feel he is still fit to serve in the Illinois Senate,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Their silence in the name of political expediency is deafening.”
* ILGOP…
For the last two years, Illinois voters have continually been denied clear answers from Mike Frerichs on a host of issues, led by his comments supporting taxing retirement income. Frerichs’ continual ducking and hiding from any challenge to his policies and statements have been made clear by ignoring Treasurer Candidate Tom Demmer’s invitation for a series of public debates between the two candidates.
Returning back to October of 2020, nearly four months after commenting in support of a retirement tax, Treasurer Frerichs announced and then proceeded to abruptly cancel a press conference on the topic. Unfortunately, his record of impeding voters’ request for more transparency doesn’t end there.
Fast forward to 2022 and Treasurer Frerichs continues to ignore an invitation from State Representative Tom Demmer to participate in a series of public debates to discuss the retirement tax and other issues pertinent to state fiscal policy.
The people of Illinois deserve a leader who will stand up for Illinois families, protect their hard-earned savings, and refuse to run away when challenged to produce facts on their record. Treasurer Frerichs owes nothing less to every resident of Illinois than the opportunity to hear an open and honest exchange of ideas before the November 8 election.
“While Frerichs ducks, deflects, and dodges, Tom Demmer has been fully transparent about his agenda to safeguard taxpayer dollars and serve as a fiscal watchdog, not a tax-and-spend Pritzker lapdog. Meanwhile, Treasurer Frerichs has repeatedly ignored opportunities to face the voters and explain his past support for taxing retirement income. Voters of Illinois deserve the opportunity to hear open, honest, and transparent debates,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
* Mayor Lori Lightfoot today about the way Texas is transporting asylum seekers to Chicago…
I believe that they have been misled and the only option for them that they’ve been presented to by the folks in Texas is a free bus ride, because they’re not providing any other option to them to go elsewhere into the country where many of them would prefer to go.
* Gov. Pritzker was then asked whether the Texas governor’s actions could be considered human trafficking or even kidnapping…
Pritzker: Well, we are still examining and interviewing the folks who have come to Illinois and listening to their stories about whether or not they willingly got on these buses, knew where they were going or given the information appropriate. And the legal authorities in the state of Illinois, specifically our Attorney General, the General Counsel’s Office in the governor’s office, the Corporation Council for the City of Chicago, all looking into whether or not there is criminal liability for what they’ve done.
Q: Well, we heard that they signed waivers, they knew exactly where they’re going. Some wanted to go to Chicago, because they had family members in the surrounding states. So you’re saying that some might have been kidnapped?
Pritzker: I’m suggesting to you that someone signed a piece of paper, if it was in English and they don’t speak English, if it was in Spanish and they don’t read or write, that’s not an appropriate way for the governor of Texas to release himself from liability.
Q: [Paraphrasing because audio was poor: Is there any type of legal action the state could take to stop the governor of Texas from sending migrants here?]
Pritzker: We’re absolutely looking into all of those options. But let’s be clear, we are going to take care of the people who are on the buses when they arrive in Illinois. The question of what consequence comes to the governor of Texas or to the state of Texas is another question together, but we’re working on it.
* Anyway, on to the press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today issued an emergency disaster proclamation and activated approximately 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to ensure all state resources are available to support asylum seekers arriving nearly daily to Chicago from the State of Texas. The proclamation enables the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and other state agencies, in close coordination with the City of Chicago, Cook County, and other local governments, to ensure the individuals and families receive the assistance they need. This includes transport, emergency shelter and housing, food, health screenings, medical assessments, treatments, and other necessary care and services.
“Today, I signed a disaster proclamation allowing the state to speed up the procurement of the immediate resources needed to help Chicago, Cook County, and other jurisdictions provide humanitarian assistance to the asylum seekers who are being sent to our state with no official advance notice by the Governor of Texas,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let me be clear: while other states may be treating these vulnerable families as pawns, here in Illinois, we are treating them as people.”
The proclamation is necessary to ensure sufficient capacity to meet the needs of more than 500 asylum seekers who have arrived already, with more buses arriving nearly every day. The robust statewide response will include IEMA, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). IEMA has also established a Unified Area Command in Chicago to quickly deploy resources to support the operations.
The groups of migrants arriving via Texas are residing in the United States legally, proceeding through the legal immigration and asylum seeking process. They are often fleeing dangerous and perilous situations, and mostly coming from Central and South America.
At the southern border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol conducts biometric screenings – including facial and fingerprints – that are cross-checked against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases. New arrivals also undergo health screenings at the border as well as additional screenings once they reach Chicago.
Many of the families and individuals seeking asylum, who began arriving in Chicago on August 31, faced long and difficult journeys from their homes. Some require medical care, including pre-natal care for pregnant women; treatment for malnourishment, dehydration, and asthma in children; foot injury and wound care; vaccinations; and chronic health condition management. They are also in need of mental health assessments and care to begin to recover from the traumas experienced on their journey.
“Illinois is a welcoming beacon of hope for all who are seeking a home and stability here,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “The asylum seekers arriving to our state deserve care, compassion, and dignity, because that is what any person pursuing a better life for themselves and their families would want. We will stand with them by continuing efforts to provide the care and services they need to move forward.”
To date, the State of Texas has been transporting asylum-seeking families and individuals to Illinois with no advance notice and with no coordination with the State of Illinois or the City of Chicago. The buses have been directed to drop their passengers at Union Station in Downtown Chicago despite requests from State and City officials that travelers be brought to Welcome Centers. Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly called on Texas to treat these asylum seekers with dignity, to open the lines of communication with his office, and to stop trying to manufacture chaos for political purposes.
* My associate Isabel Miller was at today’s Pritzker press conference today and asked the governor if anything needs to be changed in the SAFE-T Act before January 1st and if he wanted any specific changes. His response…
Well, let’s just set the record straight with everybody. The SAFE-T Act is designed to keep murderers, domestic abusers, violent criminals in jail. And to address that, the problem of the current system, which allows those people, murderers, domestic abusers, and so on, to buy their way out of jail by just paying bail.
So what we’re addressing the problem that exists today, making sure that we’re also addressing the problem of a single mother who shoplifted diapers for her baby who is put in jail and kept there for six months because she doesn’t have a couple of hundred dollars to pay for bail. So that’s what the SAFE-T Act is about.
Are there changes or adjustments that need to be, of course. And there have been adjustments made and there will continue to be. Laws are not immutable. They are not, you know, there with no change that’s ever made to them. Of course, of course.
And then the press conference ended.
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
Yesterday, once again, Governor Pritzker claimed that the SAFE-T Act wasn’t a rushed disaster of a law. Today, he admits that his SAFE-T Acts needs a fourth trailer bill but is unable to explain how the law needs to be changed. How can anyone trust this governor when he talks about crime and the SAFE-T Act?
Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey is out with a new ad that leans hard on his role as a farmer, showing him working his farm in southern Illinois as Paul Harvey’s famous speech, “So God Made a Farmer,” plays. The ad ends with a frame that says, “Illinois needs a farmer.”
But, whatever, here’s the non-campaign affiliated video anyway…
To mark the start of Hispanic Heritage Month tomorrow, the Democratic Party of Illinois today launched a new ad campaign featuring its first-ever Spanish-language ads.
“These unprecedented Spanish-language ads are the first of many efforts to expand voter outreach under my leadership at the Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Chair Lisa Hernandez. “The Party is committed to new approaches and innovative ideas that will engage underrepresented communities leading up to the general election in November and beyond.”
“This is a big deal. With this early investment in its first-ever Spanish-language ads, the Democratic Party of Illinois is demonstrating its deep commitment to Latino communities in Chicago and across Illinois,” said U.S. Representative and State Central Committeeperson Chuy García. “Initiatives like these are exactly how we’ll connect with voters in every corner of our state ahead of the November election. I look forward to working with DPI to do just that in the months ahead.”
The broader campaign, focused on minimum wage and support for working families, consists of six 16-second digital videos running on YouTube. The Spanish-language ads, titled “Para Nosotros” and “Ninguno,” specifically target Latino voter-heavy zip codes across the state, with an additional version playing in the 25th Senate district in support of State Senator Karina Villa.
With this key initiative, the Democratic Party of Illinois is working to reach and mobilize traditionally underrepresented voters. DPI will continue to invest in ads in a variety of languages — focusing next on Asian American communities — to connect with diverse groups of voters in the home stretch leading up to the November election.
* A September 4 letter to US Rep. Sean Casten from Awake IL…
Re: Cease and Desist - Defamation
Dear Sir:
This is written on behalf of Awake IL, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Illinois. Awake IL engages in social welfare advocacy on behalf of communities across the state.
It has come to our attention that you, Sean Casten, are unlawfully exploiting the mission of Awake Illinois with defamatory claims per the common law elements of “defamation” (see attachments).
Accordingly, Awake IL demands that you immediately cease and desist from further acts of defamation to any third party and remove committed acts of defamation from any third-party sites to which defamatory statements have been posted (e.g. https://castenforcongress.com, Daily Herald, etc).
Please contact us upon your receipt of this letter to confirm that you will comply with these demands and to discuss an appropriate resolution. In the event we do not receive the foregoing from you within ten (10) days from the date hereof, Awake IL will take additional steps necessary to protect its rights and/or seek all remedies available under applicable laws as a result of your unlawful acts of defamation.
Awake IL may file a civil action in local state court requesting damages and attorney’s fees wherever applicable.
The foregoing is not intended to be a complete recitation of the facts pertaining to your infringement. Nothing herein shall be deemed an admission or waiver of any of Awake IL’s rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.
Sincerely,
Shannon Adcock
President, Awake IL
Josh McBroom
Vice President, Awake IL
Steve Lucie
Director, Awake IL
CC:
Attorney Thomas DeVore
Silverlake Law Group
* The Casten campaign issued a press release on today’s “deadline”…
Last week, after U.S. Congressman Sean Casten called on Keith Pekau to disavow Awake Illinois and the award Pekau received from them, Casten received a cease and desist from Pekau’s allies at Awake Illinois.
Rep. Casten has released the following statement:
“I will not cease nor desist in supporting the interests of everybody in the community I represent and making sure that there’s space for decency and kindness and love,” said Rep. Casten. “Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois should be ashamed of themselves for the unsafe environment they have created in our community. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia, and bigotry.”
Tom Devore, the Republican nominee for Attorney General in Illinois, was CC’d on the cease and desist.
This week, the Downers Grove Public Library announced it was canceling an upcoming Drag Queen Bingo program after it received severe threats regarding the event, including calls to bring weapons to the event. These threats occurred after Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois issued a call-to-action to their supporters.
In July, Uprising Bakery in Lake in the Hills was attacked after it announced it was hosting a kid-friendly drag show. This occurred after Awake Illinois and Members of the Proud Boys’ Northern Illinois chapter promoted a protest of the event.
In January, the St. Charles Public Library was forced to temporarily close due to threats after Awake Illinois publicly criticized the library’s COVID-19 safety measures.
Geoffrey Stone, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago Law School, said the statements included with Awake Illinois’ letter provide no legal backing for a claim of defamation.
“They are just ordinary political statements that are fully protected by the First Amendment,” Stone wrote in an email. “Only factually false statements made can constitute defamation, and even then they have to be either negligently or recklessly made.”
* Darren Bailey held up a copy of the Sun-Times front page today during his daily Facebook live video and said…
Last night at Washington Park, nine were shot on a drive-by shooting. Two were killed. The victims range from 19 to 46. Why isn’t that the headline? Why aren’t the press reporting on the failures of JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx? I think that it’s appalling that, uh, they’re not, you know, last night, just within minutes after one of these massive shootings, Lori Lightfoot tweeted that, Hey, Darren Bailey, welcome to Chicago, leave your woke ideas and, and thank you for your, your tax money. Why isn’t that the headline? I think we should demand more out of our press. I think we should demand more out of the people that are reporting this. And if they won’t do it, then boycott ‘em. Push ‘em to the side. Get away from the TV, get away from these news sources that won’t report the truth because these need to be the headlines.
This may be a nitpick, but any time someone uses the word “truth,” I cringe. Truth is from a deity. Facts are from humans.
2 killed, 7 others wounded by gunfire in Washington Park: ‘It’s another tragic incident’
At least nine people were shot, two of them fatally, when gunfire erupted Tuesday night during a pickup softball game at Washington Park on the South Side.
An argument broke out between two groups and escalated into an exchange of gunfire around 7:45 p.m. at 5531 S. King Drive, Deputy Chief Fred Melean said during a news conference at the nearby University of Chicago Medical Center.
Curious whether he’ll still attend the debates, since they’ll be hosted by a TV news outlet.
…Adding… This is what Lightfoot actually tweeted…
Hi Darren. Welcome to Chicago. If you need help finding a clue, here’s a map. In the meantime, we welcome your tourism dollars. Check out the architectural boat tour. But do the other passengers a favor—leave your right wing nonsense at the dock. https://t.co/UivKhoJ6Ndpic.twitter.com/b0Xwaq0kRD
Lori, this may be a joke to you but there are people dying everyday on your streets because of your dangerous policies and failed leadership. You’re laughing, but there are at least 13 families crying tonight because of a shooting in Washington Park. Shame on you. https://t.co/vdNGHnWlqQ
This morning our office was attacked. Security footage shows a brick was thrown through one of our windows around 5 am by an individual who then fled northbound towards Bryn Mawr. Police are investigating. Board up is on the way and we will still be here to help our constituents. pic.twitter.com/T8GvnSFcSX
— Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy (@ILRepCassidy) September 14, 2022
…Adding… The tweet was deleted and replaced by this one because the footage suggests the brick-thrower was a woman.
NBC5’s Charlie Wojciechowski reported Tuesday night that our PAC’s latest television ad has been removed from NBC5’s broadcasts because “a number of people complained.”
“NBC ran the same video on its newscasts. This is the new standard? So if the sane complain that they’re traumatized by Pritzker’s incendiary pro-abort ads, NBC Chicago will pull his ads? Of course not. But if the Leftist borg objects, corporate news outlets are happy to do its bidding.”
As of 9:19PM Tuesday night, the same video that appears in our ad still appears on NBC’s own website.
Reporting news is quite a bit different than using an assault purely to score political points. Just sayin.
* Also, while we’re on this topic, from a Chicago Tribune reporter…
Probably not hypothetical. “The Scream” ad that credited video of a woman in Lakeview being mugged to CWB seemed to alter the video.
Advertisers added sound (dogs barking, birds chirping), moved screaming sounds earlier & took out the victim saying “What do you want? My phone?” https://t.co/Awl1y2ufdv
CLAIM: Anyone charged with a “non-detainable offense” will be released immediately after arrest. See graphic below, which is making the rounds on social media.
FACT: The SAFE-T Act does not create any “non-detainable offenses.” Illinois law has no such thing.
Certain crimes, including forcible felonies, stalking, and domestic abuse, guarantee the revocation of pretrial release; meaning, they will not be released after arrest. This is outlined in the act’s section 110-6.1.a.
Some of the crimes listed in the graphic will lead to revocation pretrial release, such as arson and kidnapping. These are defined as forcible felonies by Illinois law.
However, that does not mean perpetrators of other crimes are guaranteed to be let out of jail free. A judge may revoke pretrial release from ANY perpetrator who “poses a specific, real and present threat to any person or the community.” That can include perpetrators of any of the crimes listed in the image above.
Keep in mind: pretrial release is just that–release before a person’s trial. An alleged criminal is not free forever. Once they are tried, they are either found guilty and sentenced or found innocent and released.
[Story has been updated with a small change in the fourth graf.]
As I told you yesterday, there’s lots of Democratic talk behind the scenes about changing the law because there are some significant problems with it. But none of the proponents have wanted to admit this in public. That’s a huge mistake, IMHO.
First, let's check out this "news story." Notice how it is a "staff report," and doesn't include a reporter's name. Only in very rare instances will a reputable publication do this, and that's often to protect sources who have risked their own safety. Not the case here. Red flag. pic.twitter.com/o45onTUYyh
